‘I still have faith’: UNC basketball is at a crossroads after a humbling loss to Duke

For North Carolina, the margin wasn’t just on the scoreboard. It was everywhere. Every possession, every movement, every play — Duke was simply a step ahead, a level above.

“They whupped us,” North Carolina junior guard Seth Trimble said. “They kicked us.. right from the jump.”

The Tar Heels didn’t just fall to the Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday night; they were outclassed in an 87-70 defeat that highlighted the difference between a team in complete control and one still searching for answers.

For a rivalry built on balance, on back-and-forth battles, this game felt different. The matchup that always delivers did just that, in a sense, by delivering a blow that left North Carolina staggered before the Tar Heels ever had a chance to stand. There were three turnovers in the first seven possessions, a 16-0 Duke run in the opening minutes, and a 40-13 deficit with five minutes left in the first half. The numbers felt unreal; the reality was worse.

And yet North Carolina coach Hubert Davis, in his fourth season as head coach, spoke after the game about belief, about how there’s still time for his team to regroup. RJ Davis, standing outside the visitor’s locker room, echoed the sentiment of perseverance, nervously fidgeting with the straps of his backpack as he reflected on the challenge ahead. Even Trimble, typically the most direct in his criticism, swore he would have everyone ready for the next game against Duke.

But as much as belief and resolve were present, they couldn’t solve the deeper issues for UNC on Saturday. Belief alone didn’t take care of the basketball or stop another slow start from spiraling into a lopsided loss.

Because for the first 20 minutes, that’s exactly what happened.

By halftime, UNC had more turnovers (nine) than made field goals (eight). The Tar Heels’ leading scorer at the break? Junior forward Jalen Washington with six points. Davis, the returning ACC Player of the Year, didn’t score until the final five minutes of the first half. Elliot Cadeau, the sophomore point guard, coughed up five turnovers in the opening period.

The half-court offense was disjointed; the defense, overwhelmed.

Duke, meanwhile, played with precision, recording 10 steals and forcing 14 turnovers. Duke’s offense was led by freshman standouts Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, who combined for 43 points and looked unfazed on the rivalry stage.

The Blue Devils as a whole controlled the game with efficient scoring and precise ball movement, tallying 20 assists to UNC’s 11. Duke never allowed North Carolina to mount a serious challenge — or come within 15 points — after building a 22-point halftime lead.

“I think we just shot ourselves in the foot with a lot of turnovers in the first half that led to easy transition baskets for them,” RJ Davis said.

To their credit, the Tar Heels didn’t fold.

North Carolina shot 64.3% in the second half — a significant improvement from its abysmal 29.6% first-half performance — and outscored Duke after halftime. The Tar Heels also cut the lead to 16 late, a commendable achievement when you consider the 32-point lead Duke had with nine minutes to play.

But there’s a big difference between cosmetic improvement and actual progress. The game was already decided when Duke essentially tripled up UNC in the first half.

The fight UNC showed was commendable — Ven-Allen Lubin said Hubert Davis told the team after the loss he was proud of their second-half fight — but ultimately inconsequential.

“Everything’s not going to go the way we want to,” Lubin said. “We’re going to have some ups and downs in the season, and really just in life in general, and so we’re just trying to stick together as a team.”

But simply “sticking together” might not be enough. This isn’t just one loss after all — it’s part of a larger pattern. With a 13-10 record and four losses in their last five games — the one win being a narrow overtime win against a struggling Boston College team — the Tar Heels have gone from a top-10 team to a group fighting to stay on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

The issues are mounting and multiplying, but at their core, the Tar Heels’ struggles reflect poor execution from a roster that’s inherently flawed in terms of construction.

Turnovers continue to be a glaring problem — UNC has been outscored 41-11 in points off turnovers over the last two games — and the team’s offensive production remains inconsistent. The rotation lacks stability, and defensive lapses persist, exposing North Carolina’s overall lack of cohesion and balance.

The path forward? Win now. The home game against Pitt on Feb. 8 is a must-win. A road trip to Clemson on Feb. 10 will be another major test. These aren’t just games; they’re lifelines to salvage a season that’s teetering on the edge.

But how? That’s another story.

“The one encouraging thing for me is that I don’t think we’ve reached our full potential, and that’s out there,” Hubert Davis said. “I’ve seen how good we can be on both ends of the floor, the consistency is the thing that is needed from this group. And we have time, and we have opportunity to move forward to be able to do that.”

The Tar Heels’ season isn’t over, but Saturday made one thing clear: they’re not part of college basketball’s elite. Duke is. And as the Blue Devils tune up for a national championship run, the goal for UNC remains the same as it was two seasons ago: simply making it to the tournament.

And it appears that, for the Tar Heels, time and hope are all that’s left.

“I still have faith,” RJ Davis said, standing outside of the locker room, his hands fidgeting with the straps on his backpack. “You might think I’m crazy for thinking that way. I don’t know. I’m just that positive, but I still have faith and belief that we can turn this whole thing around.”

This story was originally published February 2, 2025 at 6:00 AM.