UNC basketball's win over Ohio State made even better thanks to this feat

We all know just how good the 2008-2009 UNC basketball team was.

A team that went 34-4 and won a national championship, the Tar Heels got off to a red-hot start that illustrious season, securing victories in each of their first 13 contests.

Ever since, the UNC basketball program hasn't had a start to a season like that one, but this year's squad has come pretty daggum close.

The Tar Heels are off to an impressive start

Now 12 games into the 2025-2026 season, the UNC basketball program secured its 11th victory with a nail-biting 70-69 victory over Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic. Their 11-1 record through 12 games is the best start by any Tar Heels team since that 2008-2009 squad made it through the first portion of the season unscathed.

Let's not get it twisted: the UNC basketball program has had some really good teams in between. Even the 2015-2016 squad who went to the national title game and the 2016-2017 team that won the whole thing didn't have the type of start that this group has had, adding even more hype to what this unit could be possible of doing the rest of the way.

Can they match the 08-09 pace?

That specific team, led by Tyler Hansbrough, won each of its first 14 games. Tar Heel fans will remember that the flip of the calendar year was not fond at first for Roy Williams' team, as they lost two of their first three games in the new year, both losses coming in ACC play.

The hope is that this year's team will get off to a hot start in conference play, putting them in a prime position to match (or even surpass) the pace that this history Carolina team had during their respective season.

The main objective

Keep stacking wins.

No one is saying this group is the 2008-2009 squad. They still have plenty left to prove before we get to that point. However, the main objective is to keep winning games, building momentum and clicking at the right time to ensure a deep run come NCAA Tournament time.