UNC Basketball: What we’ve learned from the 2022-2023 season
Now that the UNC basketball program’s NCAA Tournament hopes are all but gone, here are some things we’ve learned from this disappointing season.
Last March was a lot of fun.
The UNC basketball program went on a miraculous run to the national championship game, as the team that no one expected to be in that position proved everyone wrong.
Falling just short of another banner, the main core decided to ‘Run It Back,’ as North Carolina went into the 2022-2023 season with a very high set of expectations.
However, if there’s one word to describe this season, frustration would probably do it. We’ve all witnessed some frustrating losses, but it seems as if this season as a whole was frustrating in itself.
Pending an NIT bid (whether they accept it or not), we might have seen the last of the UNC basketball program this season. Now that mission ‘Run It Back,’ essentially failed, here are some things we’ve learned from this disappointing year of college basketball.
Not Every Team is the Same
We all thought (and I’m guilty of this too) that this group would pick up where they left off last season.
Essentially, the Tar Heels returned four starters from that Final Four team, as the roster looked very similar (other than Pete Nance replacing Brady Manek).
To add to that, North Carolina added depth that we all expected to fill in the void, especially to avoid having to live by the ‘Iron 5’ type of motto.
Although we had hopes of them returning to that level of play, it just simply didn’t happen.
It’s time to be honest: this group just didn’t fit.
They didn’t fit for most of the 2022-2023 season, and if we’re really looking back, other than that NCAA Tournament run a year ago, last year’s group had a lot of the same issues that this year’s squad did. Those issues were covered up by a run to the title game, as we all expected that it just took time to figure it out under then-first-year head coach Hubert Davis.
This should be a lesson learned for us all: regardless of how many players return to the mix, it doesn’t automatically mean that the future group will be successful because of it.
The Pressure Was On (Way too Much)
One thing that college basketball fans seem to forget is that these players are student-athletes.
At a program like North Carolina, student-athletes are expected to carry on the tradition of high-level basketball. Yes, the way of college athletics has changed (especially with the NIL in place), but at the end of the day, playing at a big-time program like this could be emotionally draining for players.
Especially when it comes to the world of social media.
If you listened to any of the players speak after the Virginia loss, you could sense that this group was worn out. Very high expectations were put on this group, ones that you definitely make the case were never attainable.
These college kids hear all the noise. They go through each and every day hearing the criticism they receive, especially on the likes of Twitter and other forms of social media.
It’s sad to say that there are some players that haven’t even logged onto their accounts to avoid seeing all the criticism from “fans” and “experts” who decide to bash them (whether publically or privately through direct messages).
Sometimes we have to take a step back and realize these are college kids. To say that they don’t care or don’t want to win is not the case- these players put it out on the line every time they touch the floor.
There was so much pressure on this group that what may have looked like a lack of care ultimately was the players being mentally drained from the pressure of living up to all the hype.
The Transfer Portal isn’t a Guarantee
Some programs have made the most of the transfer portal. Others, well haven’t been able to figure it out.
Brady Manek was a fantastic addition to the UNC basketball program. Other transfers (such as Pete Nance, Justin McKoy, Dawson Garcia, etc.) haven’t lived up to the hype.
The transfer portal could be a great asset for programs, but it’s vitally important to find the right fit for the current landscape of your team.
We’re going to see teams relying on the transfer portal even more moving forward, and expect the UNC basketball program to do the same. However, it’s all about identifying the right fit for the program, as it’s not a guarantee that all acquisitions via the portal will end up working out.
The Most Frustrating Part of This Whole Thing
I don’t know about you, but I truly love watching North Carolina basketball.
For me, the most frustrating part of this is facing the reality that we may have watched the final game of the 2022-2023 season.
From November to typically the end of March, my life revolves around college basketball. It is truly my favorite time of year.
I know there are a lot of people who probably agree with me on this, as Tar Heel faithful has a lot of die-hard fans who make sure they don’t miss a single second of Carolina basketball.
At this point, I don’t want to face the reality that the season may be over.