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North Carolina’s offensive reset and quarterback shuffle did not begin with Bobby Petrino’s arrival.The 2025 season under offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens never stabilized. The Tar Heels struggled to find an offensive rhythm, and the quarterback situation remained unsettled. By the end of a 4–8 season, the direction of the unit was no longer defensible. Coach Bill Belichick dismissed Kitchens and the transition began.
North Carolina suffered through its worst game of the season and is left searching for answers after a dismal afternoon in South Bend. The No. 22 Tar Heels’ two leading scorers — Ciera Toomey and India Nivar — combined for only four points as Notre Dame dominated UNC 73–50 on Sunday at Purcell Pavilion.
Elliot Cadeau’s best game of the season on Saturday wasn’t enough for No. 2 Michigan to avoid its first loss of the season.
The trip is only for two games, but for East Coast ACC teams, it can feel like a weeklong slog. When No. 17 North Carolina tips off at Stanford at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, it will be stepping into a pattern that has already tested other league programs. The late start will follow a cross-country trip to an unfamiliar gym, then they turn around to play at California three days later at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, in another arena new to the players.
North Carolina’s NET ranking held at 22 after its 87–84 home Quad 2 victory Saturday over Wake Forest, but slipped after Sunday’s game to 23. The number of opportunities to polish its resume increased due to other results.
CHAPEL HILL — It was what Caleb Wilson didn’t say after getting only two second-half shots that stood out. Wilson went from making all seven shots, adding more highlight reels and scoring 17 points in the first half, to scoring five points and only one field goal in the second half of the No. 17 Tar Heels’ 87–84 victory Saturday night over Wake Forest at the Smith Center.
CHAPEL HILL — Just when it looked like North Carolina would coast to its 500th Smith Center victory, it nearly slipped away. Hubert Davis talked like a coach trying to explain a loss. UNC pulled out an 87–84 victory over Wake Forest on Saturday night, but it blew a 15-point lead with 9:50 left.
CHAPEL HILL — Hubert Davis summed up the problems that he must fix after the loss at SMU in one word: defense. That was the starting point for everything the No. 17 Tar Heels focused on last week, as Davis said they “worked on us” for most of the week before preparing for Saturday’s 6 p.m. home game (ACC Network) against Wake Forest.
Here’s a look at No. 17 North Carolina’s pursuit of the program’s 500th Smith Center victory, facing Wake Forest.
With North Carolina one away from its 500th win in the Smith Center, the milestone underscores the many iconic moments at the venerable arena that sprang up from a wooded area on South Campus in the 1980s. Here are seven of the most memorable games in the history of the arena, followed by a list of some of the most memorable individual performances.
In the four games since Seth Trimble’s return, North Carolina’s rotation has begun to crystallize. Trimble, Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar are obviously the leaders on both ends of the court. They are the only players who have scored at least 20 points this season for the No. 17 Tar Heels and will determine their ceiling.
There’s one big difference between the defensive philosophies of Roy Williams and Hubert Davis. Williams preferred that defenders fight through screens and stick with their assigned man. Davis is more willing to switch, even at the risk of occasional mismatches.
Caleb Love arrived in the NBA without the fanfare of a draft-night celebration, without the guarantee of a roster spot, and without the job security most rookies enjoy. The Portland Trail Blazers gave him a chance, and a two-way contract, and he’s rewarded them with the best stretch games among undrafted rookies in the league.
North Carolina slipped five spots to No. 17 in the latest AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll after Saturday’s 97–83 loss at SMU, the Tar Heels’ first setback against an unranked team.
North Carolina fell six spots to No. 22 in the AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll after the Tar Heels’ 77–71 home overtime loss Sunday to Stanford.
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