UNC Basketball
Complete coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels Basketball.
What Can Be Learned from UNC's Two Opposing Defensive Halves At Cal?
Continuing its inexplicable defensive woes, UNC couldn’t have played worse in Saturday’s first half. After surrendering 45 first-half points at Stanford on Wednesday, the Tar Heels allowed 54 before halftime to a Cal team that scored 56 total in its previous game. But hopefully something can be gleaned from UNC's second-half comeback moving forward. (
Inside Carolina)
Art’s Angle: Not Good Enough
Three nights after
Hubert Davis’ team was outscored 11-3 in the closing minutes, the UNC coach was asked how it could possibly be guilty of giving up 54 points in the first half of what was a must-win contest. "I don’t know," he answered. Those three words triggered widespread social media flak, from former star players to 80-year-old media alumni. (
Chapelboro.com)
UNC Men's Basketball moves up in NET rankings after Quad 1 loss at Cal
The NET rankings can be confounding, but that was good for UNC after it lost a second Quad 1 game in California. The Tar Heels’ NET ranking fell to a season-low 30 after Wednesday’s 95–90 loss at Stanford, but moved up to 29 after Saturday’s 84–78 defeat at California to fall to 3–4 in Quad 1 games. The Bears jumped 10 spots to 59 in the NET. (
Tar Heel Tribune)
Video: Locked On Tar Heels - Interview With Former UNC Basketball Walk-On Jackson Watkins
Jackson Watkins secures his place in UNC Basketball history with clutch "biscuit" buckets in the Smith Center. From draining a free throw in front of
Michael Jordan to nailing a dramatic three versus The Citadel, Watkins brings fans inside the thrills, superstitions, and camaraderie of UNC’s beloved walk-on tradition.
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View Video)
Sun Jan 18, 2026
UNC Basketball memories of first game at Smith Center might surprise some Tar Heels
It’s been 40 years since UNC Basketball played its first game at the Smith Center. On Jan. 18, 1986, the No. 1 Tar Heels had a dazzling debut against No. 3 Duke with a 95-92 victory in front of a crowd of 21,000 fans.
Steve Hale had a career-high 28 points. But that matchup against the Blue Devils isn't what he remembers most about opening the new arena. (
Yahoo! Sports)
Three Takeaways: UNC’s defensive woes continue in 84-78 loss to Cal
UNC has shown once again it cannot stop anyone defensively. The Tar Heels allowed Cal to shoot 29-for-58 (50%) from the floor and 10-for-16 (62.5%) from 3-point range. UNC has surrendered a 40% clip from 3-point range for four straight games. Since the start of ACC play, opponents have hit 72 3-pointers against UNC — an average of 14.4 per game. (
USA Today)
Winless West Coast Road Trip Signifies Crossroads In UNC’s Season: 'This has to change'
For the second time in as many games, North Carolina players walked off the basketball court with heads down as the home crowd, still riding the momentum of an upset, chanted in celebration. If the message Wednesday night in Palo Alto was that something had to change quickly, Saturday in Berkeley only amplified it: Something has to change — fast. (
Inside Carolina)
UNC’s furious rally falls short as recurring issues push Heels toward NCAA bubble
For the third straight game, shots for
Caleb Wilson (team-high 17 points, four assists, team-high plus-6) largely disappeared in the second half, as he didn’t take a shot in the final 15 minutes in North Carolina's loss to Cal on Saturday. Still, his activity in the full-court press helped ignite the comeback, something
Hubert Davis said "did help us today." (
Tar Heel Tribune)
Lucas: A Long Game
It would be wonderful to report that North Carolina lost, 84-78, because the Tar Heels simply ran out of gas after a furious comeback. And they did mount a significant fight, closing to within four points with the ball with 1:06 left. But the fact is that UNC didn't expend enough energy in the first half to say that they were exhausted in the second half. (
GoHeels.com)
UNC Can’t Recover From First-Half Three-Point Barrage at Cal
In its previous games against SMU, Wake Forest, and Stanford, UNC allowed opponents to shoot 44-for-90 from three-point range. Stanford went 10-for-16 from deep in the second half of Wednesday's loss. When California knocked down an open three less than two minutes into Saturday's game, it felt all too familiar. Then came another. And another. (
TarHeel247)