There has been some discontent about UNC’s season to date, but it has really started to bubble up since the Tar Heels lost at Louisville and at this point, it’s probably fair to say that Hubert Davis is on the hot seat. If not, it’s at least getting warm.
Let’s start with this: for Duke partisans, it’s easy to dislike the UNC coach, whoever it may be. It’s just part of the rivalry. UNC fans hated Mike Krzyzewski, but after he retired, they often acknowledged his greatness – and that UNC owed him a debt, much as Duke owed Dean Smith and Roy Williams a debt because each side pushed the other to be greater.
It’s very difficult to dislike Hubert Davis. He just seems like a good man and while he coaches at UNC, it’s very hard to work up a proper froth about him. We don’t want UNC to be better than Duke, but watching his team struggle is not fun.
And the heat is rising.
Over at his Field of 68 podcast, Jeff Goodman and company openly question whether Davis should continue. Goodman doesn’t think UNC will make the postseason and it’s certainly not looking good.
As of Friday, UNC is 8-6. Some of the losses are acceptable: a three pointer to Kansas in Lawrence, a three-point loss to Michigan state in overtime and a six point loss to Florida.
The loss to Auburn was not good, nor was the loss to Alabama. Under Williams, much less Smith, those losses probably would not have happened.
Revisionist history, but come on: Smith was deadly in those sorts of games.
A two-point win over Dayton? A three-point win over struggling Georgia Tech? This is UNC basketball?
The win over UCLA in the Garden was a big one, but the loss to Louisville let the air right back out of the balloon.
Now, increasingly, you’re seeing more questions about Davis in the media. Check out these headlines:
