A year can make all the difference in college basketball - and no program is proving that more than North Carolina.
Let’s rewind to December 19, 2024. The Tar Heels were sitting at 6-5, limping through their non-conference schedule with losses to four ranked teams and Michigan State.
Their résumé was thin, their Quad 1 win column nearly empty, and the questions around head coach Hubert Davis were growing louder by the day. The fan base wasn’t just frustrated - they were starting to lose faith.
The roster construction was under fire, the frontcourt lacked a true anchor, and key returners weren’t playing up to the level they’d shown the previous season.
Fast forward to today, December 19, 2025 - and it’s a completely different story in Chapel Hill.
UNC is off to a 10-1 start, their best since the 2017-18 campaign. That’s not just a nice stat - it’s a historical marker.
This is only the 30th time in the program’s 115-season history that the Tar Heels have opened a season 10-1. And they’ve done it while navigating adversity, including the extended absence of Seth Trimble, who went down after the team’s marquee win over then-#17 Kansas.
Even without Trimble, Carolina has stacked quality wins. They took down a ranked Kentucky squad, handled Georgetown at home, and battled Michigan State down to the wire.
That last one stings a bit - it could’ve been a third Quad 1 win, but without Trimble’s perimeter defense, Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears took over late. It’s not a stretch to say Trimble’s presence might’ve swung that game.
Still, UNC sits at 2-1 in Quad 1 opportunities, and more importantly, they’re playing like a team that knows exactly who they are.
And who are they? For starters, they’ve got arguably the best - and tallest - frontcourt in the country.
They’ve got a projected NBA lottery pick in Caleb Wilson, who’s living up to the hype on both ends of the floor. They’re deep, they’re athletic, and they’re playing with a chip on their shoulder - the kind you earn after a couple of humbling seasons.
Let’s not forget: last year was rough. The 2024-25 campaign felt like a continuation of the disappointment from the “Redemption 2.0” season in 2022-23.
The expectations were sky-high, and the results didn’t match. That kind of pressure can crack a program - or it can forge something new.
Hubert Davis chose the latter.
Credit where it’s due: Davis didn’t just ride out the storm - he made moves. Big ones.
He brought in Jim Tanner as general manager, and Tanner delivered with a revamped roster that fits Davis’ system like a glove. This isn’t just a group of talented individuals; it’s a team that plays with purpose.
They defend, they rebound, they share the ball, and perhaps most importantly, they hold themselves to a high standard. Word is, players were frustrated after wins - not because they didn’t win, but because they didn’t dominate.
That’s the mindset of a team that isn’t satisfied with being good. They want to be great.
Of course, the road ahead is long. This is college basketball - losses are going to happen.
Maybe even this weekend against Ohio State. But the bigger picture is clear: Hubert Davis has righted the ship.
The heat around his seat has cooled, and in its place is a sense of belief - both in the locker room and among the fan base.
We don’t know exactly how high this team’s ceiling is yet. But we do know this: Carolina is back in the national conversation, and if they keep trending upward, come March, they could be a serious problem for anyone standing in their way.