Where Does UNC Basketball Stand Heading into 2025
The North Carolina Men’s Basketball team started the season as a top-10 team. Now they find themselves with a record of 7-5, and only one top-25 win heading into the new year. The Heels can be described as one of the country's most inconsistent teams this season. They usually find themselves being down by double digits in the first half, returning to make it a game in the second half but not holding on to secure a win. One of the reasons for their slide is that the team is way smaller this year compared to past seasons. The Tar Heels are known for having players crash the glass and get extra possessions for their teams; however, this season, those players are nowhere to be found. North Carolina is one of college basketball’s powerhouses and fans expect them to compete for a national title every year, but unless they can turn their season around by the time March rolls around, the Heels might find themselves at home this postseason.
North Carolina is led by R.J Davis, the reigning ACC Player of the Year, who is a scoring machine. He is averaging 18.5 points on 37 percent shooting. Davis has seen his numbers drop this season due to defenses planning for him and essentially nobody else on the team. The lack of a big man also does not help Davis because, throughout his time at Carolina, he had Armando Bacot to pass it to, and Bacot’s ability to score and rebound allowed defenses not to guard Davis as much. The grad student from New York is also not getting as much help from sophomore guard Elliot Cadeau this season. Cadeau has improved his jump shot this season, but he is still not making good decisions with the basketball. He leads the team in turnovers and sometimes can not get out of his way. The Tar Heels backcourt has not produced to the standard that fans have expected this season.
One of the highlights of the season so far is the emergence of Seth Trimble, and due to the struggles of Davis and Cadeau, his production on the offensive end has been vital to Carolina winning seven of their 12 games this season. The junior guard is averaging 14 points this season, which is a career-best for him. He is known for his defensive game, but having Trimble shooting 45 percent this year is remarkable, and he has kept the Heels in games this season. Other bright spots are freshmen Drake Powell and Ian Jackson. Powell is a 6’6 Forward who earned a spot in the starting lineup due to his size and shot-making ability. Jackson is Carolina’s sixth man and is shooting 49 percent from the field and 42 percent from three. Jackson had his breakout game against UCLA, scoring 24 points and making eight of thirteen shots.
Now, the big man for the Heels has not been great this season. Carolina missed out on some highly touted centers in the transfer portal as they decided to go elsewhere. The production that they have been getting from their centers has been deplorable. Both centers that Carolina has used this season are Jalen Washington and Ven-Allen Lubin. Washington, to his credit, is coming off injuries that have derailed his college career so far, and he has been Bacot’s backup for the past three years. Lubin is a transfer from Vanderbilt and he seems to be taking his time adjusting to Carolina’s style of play. Heading into 2025, both players will have to get consistently better if the Heels want to turn their season around.
North Carolina will start conference play at the beginning of January. They will have to get off to a hot start to boost their resume for the NCAA Tournament. Having already lost big non-conference games to Florida, Alabama, and Michigan State, the Heels cannot get off to a slow start in the ACC. North Carolina has been marked by inconsistencies and turnovers all season long. If they want to turn their season around, they will have to work quickly to minimize these issues.
