The era of Hubert Davis has begun, with not a ton of defense at North Carolina. There was a four-game stretch including Brown, College of Charleston, Purdue, and Tennessee, where the team gave up an average of 88 ppg defensively. Two of them ended in losses and the other two could’ve as well, creating a glaring weakness.
It must have been a wake-up call for the team, as they’ve gotten much better on that end ever since, giving up just 53 points to UNC-Asheville and 51 to Michigan in a surprising blowout victory. Caleb Love had 22 points in that game, while big man Armando Bacot bounced back from some bad performances with 11 points and 14 rebounds.
On the season, both Love (16.1 ppg and 4.1 apg) and Bacot (15.0 ppg and 9.4 rpg) have been leading the way offensively, while frontcourt transfers Brady Manek and Dawson Garcia are each averaging at least 11 ppg and 6.0 rpg so far. Guard RJ Davis is the other double-digit scoring starter as well and is currently shooting 48% from three-point range.
The Tar Heels seem to have limited their rotation down to seven, with Leaky Black starting at the wing and both Manek and Kerwin Walton coming off the bench. This group is one of the best offensive lineups in both the ACC and the country and if the sudden defensive improvement is maintained, this team will be a Final Four contender and regular-season title threat.