By R.L. Bynum

CHAPEL HILL — When the weakest opponent on North Carolina’s schedule can score 52 points and shoot 60.7% in the second half, it amplifies the Tar Heels’ troubling defensive struggles.

Campbell scored more than 10 points above its average coming into the game, including 12 layups, with Colby Duggan doubling his best scoring output of the season with 32 points and five 3-pointers.

Carolina has already allowed eight opponents to score at least 75 points after doing that only 11 times last season. That has happened more this season than the combined total of occurrences before New Year’s Day in Coach Roy Williams’ last three seasons.

It’s the most since it happened seven times before New Year’s Day and 12 times over the season when Carolina missed the NCAA tournament in 2022–23. Granted, UNC has played a challenging schedule, but that’s no excuse when it happens against Campbell.

Campbell scored 10 3-pointers, becoming the seventh UNC opponent — and fourth non-power conference opponent — with double-digit 3s this season, equaling the total from last season. It only happened three times two seasons ago and 10 times in 2021–22.

Coach Hubert Davis has preached that it all starts with defense, but that wasn’t the case in their 97–81 Sunday win.

With UNC’s scoring defense ranking 329th in the country, Davis tried to focus on the positives, singling out point guard Elliot Cadeau’s play.

“His defense just continues to get better every day,” said Davis, pointing to Cadeau’s defense to force a miss from UCLA’s Sabastian Mack on the final play of the Tar Heels’ 76–74 win as helpful for his confidence.

“I think that’s huge,” Davis said. “[It] doesn’t surprise me that it gave him confidence that he’s a complete basketball player. And that single play gave us a win because of his ability to defend without fouling and be in a position to box out so that Drake [Powell] can get the rebound. And so I’m glad that gave him confidence, and that’s something that he can do consistently.”

The Camels, who only scored 53 points in an entire game at 4–9 Evansville, managed an alarming 1.529 points per second-half possession against UNC.

“Just got to finish the game,” Powell said. [Coach Davis] was telling us to stay disciplined and just don’t get lackadaisical and just continue to play the game. We’re not good enough yet to take our foot off the gas yet.”

But even being without Seth Trimble — their best defender, who was out with an upper-body injury — the 304th-best team in the NET rankings shouldn’t score that easily.

“On the defensive end, [Trimble is] definitely someone that’s a presence, and you understand when he’s on the floor,” freshman guard Ian Jackson said. “You can feel it.”

Regardless of the opponent, Carolina consistently can’t stop drives to the rim. The Tar Heels have trouble containing pick-and-rolls and must find fixes to eliminate the communication breakdowns on defensive switches.

UNC didn’t get a defensive stop in the last seven minutes against Campbell. It could be that the defensive intensity waned in what was a one-sided game. But the intensity has to become consistent for 40 minutes if Carolina will earn an NCAA tournament berth.

Times allowing at least 75 points

2024–25 — 8
2023–24 — 11 (4 times before New Year)
2022–23 — 12 (7 before New Year)
2021–22 — 17 (5 before New Year)
2020–21 — 8 (2 before New Year) — X
2019–20 — 11 (1 before New Year)
2018–19 — 15 (6 before New Year)
2018–19 — 15 (3 before New Year)
2017–18 — 13 (4 before New Year)
2016–17 — 17 (5 before New Year)
2015–16 — 9 (3 before New Year)
2014–15 — 11 (1 before New Year)
2013–14 — 12 (4 before New Year)
2012–13 — 10 (5 before New Year)
2011–12 — 10 (5 before New Year)
2010–11 — 11 (3 before New Year)
X — Roy Williams’ final season

UNC season statistics

Team	League	Overall	NET*
No. 3 Duke	0–0	11–0	2
California	0–0	10–1	63
No. 12 North Carolina	0–0	10–1	15
No. 23 Virginia	0–0	9–1	21
Miami	0–0	10–2	33
Virginia Tech	0–0	10–2	58
No. 11 Louisville	0–0	9–2	17
SMU	0–0	9–2	43
Stanford	0–0	8–2	98
Clemson	0–0	9–3	32
Notre Dame	0–0	9–3	65
Wake Forest	0–0	9–3	59
N.C. State	0–0	8–4	34
Georgia Tech	0–0	7–4	189
Syracuse	0–0	7–4	96
Pittsburgh	0–0	6–6	154
Boston College	0–0	5–6	177
Florida State	0–0	5–6	148

* — Through Wednesday games
Tuesday’s results
No. 12 North Carolina 77, East Tennessee State 58
No. 3 Duke 97, Lipscomb 73
No. 20 Tennessee 83, No. 11 Louisville 62
Dayton 97, Florida State 69
Clemson 68, South Carolina 61
Miami 98, Florida International 81
Georgia Tech 87, Marist 76
Wednesday’s results
N.C. State 108, Texas Southern 72
Pittsburgh 103, Binghamton 6
Syracuse 76, Mercyhurst 62
Wake Forest 71, Longwood 68
UT Arlington at Stanford, 10 p.m., ACCN Extra
Friday’s games
Mississippi Valley State at Florida State, 7 p.m., ACCN Extra
Morgan State at California, 10 p.m., ACCN Extra
Saturday’s games
Montana at No. 11 Louisville, noon, ACCN Extra
Lafayette at Georgia Tech, 2 p.m., ACCN Extra
Elon at Virginia Tech, 2 p.m., ACCN Extra
Ohio State vs. No. 12 North Carolina at CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta, 3 p.m., CBS
Northeastern at Syracuse, 4 p.m., ACCN Extra
Maryland at No. 23 Virginia, 6 p.m., ESPN
No. 3 Duke at No. 16 Texas Tech, 8 p.m., ESPN
Stanford at Colorado, 8 p.m., ESPNU
Sunday’s games
Penn State vs. Pittsburgh in Hershey, Pa., noon, Big Ten Network
Ole Miss vs. N.C. State in Greensboro, 1 p.m., ESPN
No. 13 Vanderbilt at Wake Forest, 1 p.m., The CW
Purdue Ft. Wayne at Notre Dame, 2 p.m., ACCN Extra
Central Arkansas at SMU, 2 p.m., ACCN Extra
Cincinnati vs. Clemson in Greenville, S.C., 3 p.m., ESPN
North Florida at Miami, 4 p.m., ACC Network
Columbia at California, 5 p.m., ACCN Extra
Monday’s games
American at Virginia, 6 p.m., ACCN Extra
Jacksonville at Florida State, 7 p.m., ACCN Extra
Stonehill at Syracuse, 7 p.m., ACCN Extra
Fairleigh Dickinson at Boston College, 7 p.m., ACCN Extra
East Carolina at No. 12 North Carolina, 8 p.m., ACC Network

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. East Tennessee State	10–1
			CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta
20	Saturday	3 p.m.	vs. Ohio State	CBS
			—————————
22	Monday	8 p.m.	vs. East Carolina	ACCN
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. 23 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. 3 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. 11 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. 3 Duke	ESPN
10–14	Tues.-Sat.	ACC tournament	Spectrum Center, Charlotte