UNC’s Defense Is Channeling a Championship-Era Mindset - And It’s Working
There’s a reason the phrase “defense wins championships” has stuck around for so long - because when it’s done right, it changes everything. And right now, North Carolina is showing us just how far elite defense can carry a team.
Through the first 14 games of the 2025-26 season, UNC has made defense its calling card. Even without Seth Trimble - arguably the best on-ball defender in the country - for most of the non-conference slate, the Tar Heels haven’t just survived.
They’ve thrived. This group is long, athletic, and versatile, and they’re using that combination to suffocate opponents and turn stops into fast-break opportunities.
Here’s the eye-opener: No team has scored more than 75 points against UNC this season. In fact, only five opponents have even cracked 70.
That’s not just solid defense - that’s lockdown territory. And it’s not just impressive in a vacuum.
It’s historically significant.
The Last Time This Happened? MJ Was on Campus
You have to go back to the 1981-82 season - yes, the year Michael Jordan was a freshman - to find the last time a Tar Heel team held opponents to 75 points or fewer in this many consecutive games to start a season. That squad, coached by Dean Smith, didn’t allow more than 75 points all year, across 34 games. They also happened to cut down the nets at the end of the season.
Now, let’s be clear: today’s game is different. Faster pace, more possessions, and a much heavier reliance on three-point shooting make it significantly harder to keep scores down.
That’s what makes this current UNC stretch so remarkable. In an era where teams are launching from deep and pushing tempo, the Tar Heels are buckling down and making every possession a grind.
Built to Defend - And Built to Win
What’s fueling this defensive surge? It starts with roster construction.
Hubert Davis and his staff clearly prioritized size and switchability, and it’s paying off. This team can guard multiple positions, close out on shooters, and contest at the rim - all without sacrificing their ability to push the pace on offense.
Even without Trimble anchoring the perimeter for much of the early season, the team’s defensive identity hasn’t wavered. That speaks volumes about the buy-in from the entire roster. Guys are rotating, communicating, and doing the little things that don’t always show up in the box score but win games.
And here’s the scary part for the rest of the ACC: there’s still room to grow. This isn’t a finished product. As Trimble works his way back and the team continues to gel, there’s another level this defense can reach.
The Road Ahead
Conference play is coming, and with it, a new level of challenge. The ACC will test UNC in ways the non-conference schedule didn’t. But if this team continues to defend at this level - and maybe even finds another gear - they’re going to be a nightmare matchup for anyone.
Defense isn’t just a strength for this UNC team - it’s an identity. And if history tells us anything, when the Tar Heels lock in on that end of the floor, special things tend to follow.