Just when we thought that the UNC basketball program might be turning a corner...
Key word there: might.
North Carolina didn't start off the new year the way they hoped, suffering a loss to Louisville on the road on Wednesday night. It was another outing where the the Tar Heels continued to display the same problems they've faced essentially all season long.
As we've seen time and time again, this team dug itself into an early hole. RJ Davis, who is the team's leading scorer, didn't put points on the board until the 4:52 mark of the first half, as North Carolina's offense was essentially stagnant.
However, a late first-half surge from Davis helped keep the game within distance, as the Tar Heels trailed by only 6 going into the half.
Ian Jackson got hot in the second half as the Tar Heels once again stormed back. Unfortunately, we've seen this narrative far too many times, as it is a book that simply repeats itself:
Trail early in the game (and into the break), find a way to storm back and tie the game (or even take the lead), collapse late in the game.
That's exactly what happened on Wednesday night.
Now, it's important to note that you and I even were charged with fouls in this game, as the crew, led by the infamous Ted "TV Teddy" Valentine, called 50 fouls in this game. Of those 50 fouls, 29 went against the Tar Heels, as three different players fouled out of this one.
We all remember the Joel Berry incident. We'll just leave it at that.
While the coaching staff has taken heat, especially on social media, the players also have to execute as well. Hubert Davis can't go out there and shoot the ball or play defense (heck, Sean May, who has been retired for quite some time now, would probably be a better option down low than what the Tar Heels currently have on the roster).
Poor shooting, no offensive rhythm and timely mistakes (ex. the missed rebound late in the game by Jae'Lyn Withers that resulted in a three-pointer for Louisville, one that essentially sealed the deal).
Jackson continues to be a bright spot, scoring a team-high 23 points. Fellow freshman Drake Powell was also efficient before fouling out, finishing with 14 points of his own.
Other than the two freshmen, there wasn't much positives to take away.
We've established that this roster has flaws. They are clearly evident. However, at some point, someone has to step up and figure this out, whether it's a scheme issue, a player performance issue, or a mix of both.
This isn't a traditional UNC basketball team. It's way overdue that someone truly identifies what this team actually is.
If everything continues to stay status quo, things could get ugly for this group down the road.