By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — No. 20 North Carolina must change its unsustainable habit of getting into early double-digit holes.
Coach Hubert Davis has spent plenty of time with his staff since losing two of three games at the Maui Invitational, trying to figure out a solution as the Tar Heels (4–3) prepare to challenge No. 10 Alabama (6–2) at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN) in the ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge.
“I’ve thought about everything in regards to what is leading us to be in those deficits in the first half,” said Davis, who has looked at the starting lineup, the rotation and the combinations. “Those are definitely things that I’m looking at. And if there’s something that needs to be changed or adjusted, I will — to put us in a better position to get off to better starts.”
If Davis shuffles the starting lineup, it may be time to give 6–6 freshman forward Drake Powell his first college start after productive minutes in Maui, including playing a season-high 33 minutes in the 94–91 overtime loss to Michigan State.
Powell put up a season-high 14.0 game score, a team-high against the Spartans, as were his 18 points and four 3-pointers. Meanwhile, he would supplant either Jalen Washington (1.0 game score vs. Michigan State) or Jae’lyn Withers (4.0) in the lineup.
Just like 6–4 freshman guard Ian Jackson (9.4 game score against Michigan State), he’s proved to be a dangerous scorer. Not only is Powell well ahead of Jackson on the defensive end, but he also has a huge impact on that end of the floor.
Another possible tweak might be to start 6–8 Vanderbilt transfer forward Ven-Allen Lubin, who collected 19 points and 12 rebounds in 35 minutes over the last two games. He brought energy and athleticism off the bench and started the second half of the 85–72 loss to No. 2 Auburn, producing a 10.6 game score.
Davis said that with 10 of his 15 players new to the program, there would be growing pains regardless of which five are on the court at any given time.
“I think this team is trying to find their rhythm,” he said. “That’s why we spend so much time together off the court. That’s why we practice every day in order to blend each and everyone’s games together to fit together out there on the floor.”
Davis said there are no “roles” on his team.
“Whatever is in your bag, that’s what I want you to bring every day to the game,” he said. “And I think every day we’re getting better and more familiar with each other out there on the floor, and sometimes it takes a little bit of time.”
Defense and rebounding have always been catalysts for Carolina’s transition game, but they’re even more important this season without a dominant post player who can block shots so the Tar Heels don’t have to deal with half-court defenses as much.
Carolina allowed Maui opponents to shoot at least 50% from the floor in three halves in Maui and was minus-four in rebounding for the three games, and Davis says that needs to change from the moment the game starts.
“It’s nice to see that we have it in us to be able to come back, but it’s a position that I don’t think is sustainable,” Davis said. “I think the position that we want to be at is to be consistent in both halves. The success of this team is going to be tied to how good a defensive team we become and how good a rebounding team we become.”
The defensive issues were glaring when Michigan State repeatedly got to the rim with ease in the first half and overtime. The mistakes on switches appear to be fixable, and Davis has had practice time to review what went wrong.
“We’ve got to do a better job at shutting down the paint, and we’ve got to do a better job at communicating and talking,” said Davis, adding that UNC needs to do a better job of defending without fouling. “So, those are things that — since we’ve gotten back — we’ve talked about pretty much every day.”
Turnovers were the other issue that popped up for the first time in Maui. UNC came into the tournament leading the nation in turnovers per game (7.25) but plummeted to 21st (tied with Auburn at 9.6) after committing 36 in three tournament games.
“We’ve been behind a lot in the first halves, and so in order to come back, guys want to make a play to get us back,” Davis said. “We’re down by 14. Let’s make a basket that ties it, which can’t happen. Maybe doing a little bit too much for the right reasons has resulted in some turnovers. I think we’ve always been a team that’s been good to great, very unselfish, and we’ve got to get back to that.”
Sophomore point guard Elliot Cadeau’s struggles triggered some of those turnover issues. After only seven turnovers in the first four games, he turned the ball over 12 times in Maui. Additionally, Cadeau got in foul trouble in all three Maui games.
Opponents appeared to make a concerted effort to be physical against Cadeau.
“It was more physical. It just was,” Davis said. “There were bigger guards — physical, athletic. And playing at North Carolina, playing at this level, this is what you expect. And so there’s an adjustment period in regards to that. And that’s something else that we learned from is the type of physicality, not only taking it but giving it back.”
NOTES — Alabama will be without 6–3 fifth-year guard Latrell Wrightsell (averaging 11.5 points per game), who suffered a season-ending ruptured Achilles tendon. He also missed the Tide’s 89–86 win in the NCAA West Regional Sweet 16 last season. … Fifth-year 6–1 guard Mark Sears leads Alabama, averaging 16.0 points, with a team-high 15 3-pointers on 28.8% shooting. … Tide 6–11 fifth-year center Clifford Omoruyi, a transfer from Rutgers who UNC pursued, is averaging 7.8 points and 6.3 rebounds, with 11 blocks. … Alabama already has two wins over ranked teams, beating No. 19 Illinois 100–87 on Nov. 20 in Birmingham, Ala., and No. 17 Houston in Las Vegas on Nov. 26. … The Tide has won the last two meetings, including the 103–101 four-OT game in Portland on Nov. 27, 2022, but UNC leads the series 8–6. … UNC is 2–0 against Alabama in Chapel Hill after a 99–77 win on Dec. 14, 1955, as the No. 16 team against the No. 5 Tide in Woollen Gym, and a 95–79 victory for the No. 18 Tar Heels against the No. 15 Tide Dec. 15, 1990, in the Smith Center. … Jon Sciambi and Jay Williams will be on the ESPN call of the game. … Tyler Hansbrough will be the color analyst on the Tar Heel Sports Network.
UNC season statistics
Alabama season statistics
KenPom comparison
| Category | UNC | Alabama |
| Overall ranking | 16 | 10 |
| Offensive efficiency | 120.9 (5) | 122.2 (3) |
| Defensive efficiency | 98.8 (64) | 98.0 (49) |
| Effective FG Pct. | 54.6 (71) | 54.8 (63) |
| Turnover Pct. | 12.7 (4) | 169.9 (135) |
| Offensive rebound Pct. | 25.9 (281) | 35.4 (51) |
| FTA/FGA | 43.2 (41) | 46.4 (20) |
| Strength of schedule | 10 | 9 |
Series: UNC 8, Alabama 6
| Team | League | Overall | NET* |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 0–0 | 12–1 | 46 |
| No. 12 North Carolina | 0–0 | 12–1 | 15 |
| No. 6 Duke | 0–0 | 11–1 | 3 |
| No. 21 Virginia | 0–0 | 11–1 | 23 |
| Miami | 0–0 | 11–2 | 34 |
| Stanford | 0–0 | 11–2 | 76 |
| Virginia Tech | 0–0 | 11–2 | 62 |
| No. 16 Louisville | 0–0 | 10–2 | 17 |
| SMU | 0–0 | 10–2 | 36 |
| Clemson | 0–0 | 10–3 | 37 |
| N.C. State | 0–0 | 9–4 | 31 |
| Notre Dame | 0–0 | 9–4 | 81 |
| Syracuse | 0–0 | 9–4 | 88 |
| Wake Forest | 0–0 | 9–4 | 68 |
| Georgia Tech | 0–0 | 8–4 | 190 |
| Florida State | 0–0 | 7–6 | 129 |
| Pittsburgh | 0–0 | 7–6 | 115 |
| Boston College | 0–0 | 6–6 | 191 |
* — Through Tuesday games
Saturday’s result
Stanford 88, CSU Northridge 80
Sunday’s games
Le Moyne at Boston College, 2 p.m., ACCN Extra
Cal State Fullerton at SMU, 3 p.m., ACCN Extra
Florida A&M at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m., ACCN Extra
Tuesday’s games
Florida State at No. 12 North Carolina, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Pittsburgh at Miami, 7 p.m., ACC Network
No. 16 Louisville at California, 9 p.m, ACC Network
Notre Dame at Stanford, 9 p.m., ESPN2
Wednesday’s games
Wake Forest at N.C. State, noon, ESPN2
No. 21 Virginia at Virginia Tech, 2 p.m., ACC Network
Clemson at Syracuse, 2 p.m., ESPN2
Georgia Tech at Duke, 4 p.m., ACC Network
Friday’s game
No. 16 Louisville at Stanford, 8 p.m., ACC Network
Notre Dame at California, 11 p.m., ESPN2
Saturday, Jan. 3, games
No. 21 Virginia at N.C. State, 11 a.m., ESPN2
Virginia Tech at Wake Forest, noon, ACC Network
Clemson at Pittsburgh, noon, The CW
Boston College at Georgia Tech, 2 p.m., ACC Network
No. 12 North Carolina at SMU, 2:15, The CW
No. 6 Duke at Florida State, 3:45, CBS
| Date | Month/day | Time | Opponent/event (current ranks) | TV/ record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | ||||
| 24 | Friday | L, 78–76 | vs. No. 10 BYU in SLC | Exhib. |
| 29 | Wednesday | W, 95–53 | vs. Winston-Salem St. | Exhib. |
| November | ||||
| 3 | Monday | W, 94–54 | vs. Central Arkansas | 1–0 |
| 7 | Friday | W, 87–74 | vs. No. 17 Kansas | 2–0 |
| 11 | Tuesday | W, 89–74 | vs. Radford | 3–0 |
| 14 | Friday | W, 97–53 | vs. N.C. Central | 4–0 |
| 18 | Tuesday | W, 73–61 | vs. Navy | 5–0 |
| Fort Myers Tip-Off | ||||
| 25 | Tuesday | W, 85–70 | vs. St. Bonaventure | 6–0 |
| 27 | Thursday | L, 74–58 | vs. No. 9 Michigan State | 6–1 |
| December | ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge | |||
| 2 | Tuesday | W, 67–64 | at Kentucky | 7–1 |
| ————————— | ||||
| 7 | Sunday | W, 81–61 | vs. Georgetown | 8–1 |
| 13 | Saturday | W, 80–62 | vs. USC Upstate | 9–1 |
| 16 | Tuesday | W, 77–58 | vs. ETSU | 10–1 |
| CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta | ||||
| 20 | Saturday | W, 71–70 | vs. Ohio State | 11–1 |
| ————————— | ||||
| 22 | Monday | W, 99–51 | vs. East Carolina | 12–1 |
| 30 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | vs. Florida State | ESPN2 |
| January | ||||
| 3 | Saturday | 2:15 | at SMU | The CW |
| 10 | Saturday | 6 p.m. | vs. Wake Forest | ACCN |
| 14 | Wednesday | 9 p.m. | at Stanford | ACCN |
| 17 | Saturday | 4 p.m. | at California | ACCN |
| 21 | Wednesday | 7 p.m. | vs. Notre Dame | ESPN2 |
| 24 | Saturday | 2 or 2:30 | at No. 21 Virginia | ESPN or ESPNU |
| 31 | Saturday | 2 p.m. | at Georgia Tech | ACCN |
| February | ||||
| 2 | Monday | 7 p.m. | vs. Syracuse | ESPN |
| 7 | Saturday | 6:30 | vs. No. 6 Duke | ESPN |
| 10 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | at Miami | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 14 | Saturday | 2 p.m. | vs. Pittsburgh | ESPN |
| 17 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | at N.C. State | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 21 | Saturday | 1 p.m. | at Syracuse | ABC |
| 23 | Monday | 7 p.m. | vs. No. 16 Louisville | ESPN |
| 28 | Saturday | 6:30 or 8:30 | vs. Virginia Tech | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| March | ||||
| 3 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | vs. Clemson | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 7 | Saturday | 6:30 | at No. 6 Duke | ESPN |
| 10–14 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament | Spectrum Center, Charlotte |
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