Tuesday, December 17 presented the North Carolina Tar Heels a chance to do something they failed to in four previous tries: beat a ranked team.
UNC faced off with the seventh-ranked, undefeated Florida Gators in Charlotte, NC for the Jumpman Invitational. Tuesday was technically considered a neutral-site game, but it felt more like a home-court advantage for North Carolina, something RJ Davis alluded to after Saturday' dominant win over La Salle.
The Tar Heels dug themselves into another big first-half hole against a strong opponent and, despite rallying from a 17-point deficit to take multiple late leads in the second half, they lost 90-84 to Florida.
We could talk about how impressive UNC's (6-5, 1-0 ACC) comeback was, but instead, UNC suffered another disappointing result. North Carolina did the exact same thing against Kansas on the road, then lost. The Tar Heels roared back against Michigan State, only to lose. UNC rallied from 21 down against Dayton, but actually won that game.
North Carolina is now 1-5 against ranked teams, not a good sign when it comes time for March Madness. The Gators (11-0) used their massive height advantage late to grab key rebounds, plus their defense forced multiple key turnovers that doomed the Tar Heels.
UNC's road ahead doesn't get any easier, as it'll visit the Big Apple for a Saturday clash, with 18th-ranked UCLA in Madison Square Garden.
Tonight, though, we give you five instant reactions from North Carolina's fifth loss to a ranked team. Will the road ahead ever get better?
UNC has very little height on its roster, with the tallest player being Jalen Washington. He comes off the bench and, as of recent, North Carolina is rolling with 6'8" Ven-Allen Lubin at center.
Lubin is aggressive, experienced and he contributes when on the court, so his starting role is warranted.
The Tar Heels' lack of height, though, cost them down the stretch against Florida. UNC led 84-82 with 2:13 remaining, then the Gators grabbed six rebounds - four on the offensive glass - to help them come back and win.
In that same time frame, North Carolina didn't grab a SINGLE rebound. The Tar Heels also didn't score over the final 2:13.
There's no doubt Elliot Cadeau took a massive offseason leap. When Cadeau has the ball in his hands, good luck stopping his drives to the rim.
Cadeau led UNC - and all players - with seven assists on Tuesday, but he also turned the ball over four times. Cadeau's final turnover proved to be the costliest - with the score tied at 84 and 1:26 remaining, Cadeau's turnover led to Florida's eventual game-winning basket (Will Richard layup).
I will take an aggressive guard like Cadeau any day. He's the Energizer Bunny North Carolina needs, particularly when the offense stalled like it did tonight in the first half.
If the Tar Heels want to close out games like tonight's though. a game they desperately needed to win, Cadeau needs to cut back on his turnovers.
If the Tar Heels could play a complete game of basketball, I like to think they'd have a couple more wins in their back pockets.
UNC trailed at halftime in each of its games against ranked opponents - and Tuesday against Florida was no exception. North Carolina entered halftime with a 46-34 deficit, but trailed by 17 at one point.
The Tar Heels outscored the Gators, 50-44 in the second half. I know it's tough to play 100% for 40 minutes, but the Tar Heels have to show some semblance of competence in the first half.
When RJ Davis announced his intention to return for a fifth year at UNC, the immediate reaction was "National Championship-bound." I can't blame you: Davis is the reigning ACC Player of the Year and, in 2023, the Tar Heels' main source of offense.
That's why Davis' 2024 struggles come as a shocker. He shot under 40 percent in North Carolina's games against Michigan State, Alabama, Georgia Tech and La Salle, so would the same follow against Florida?
Thankfully, RJ kept the Tar Heels within striking distance Tuesday night. He scored a game-high 29 points, making 10-of-19 field goals attempts and six of seven free throws. Davis struggled from deep again, recording a 3-of-11 mark from beyond the arc, but made a couple clutch threes in the second half.
UNC is a long way from where it wants to be, but if it wants to generate any sort of positive momentum, knowing Davis broke out Tuesday is a step in the right direction.
3-point shooting is supposed to be a strength for UNC this season. North Carolina returned RJ Davis in the offseason, learned that Seth Trimble and Elliot Cadeau improved their offensive games, landed a commitment from 5-star guard Ian Jackson and got sharpshooter Cade Tyson in the transfer portal.
On Tuesday night, the Tar Heels shot just 5-of-28 from beyond the arc. RJ Davis led UNC with three perimeter makes, while Elliot Cadeau and Ian Jackson each drained one 3-pointer.
North Carolina is shooting a combined 20-of-83 (24 percent) in its past three games - and just 32.9% on the season. The Tar Heels are 11th in the ACC - and 223rd out of 364 Division-I programs - with their season percentage.