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The Hubert Davis-era of North Carolina basketball experienced a first on Wednesday during their game against Michigan State basketball. Davis received a technical foul, his first since he took over as the Tar Heels head coach. He was arguing with the referees about the Spartans bench jawing with the Tar Heels bench.
Regardless, that technical foul sparked a momentum shift for Michigan State, after they were trailing 58-57. They came back to win in overtime and stun the Tar Heels. Immediately after the game, Davis spoke bluntly to reporters about his thoughts on the call.
“I’m not going to comment on that, but I never use profanity,” Davis said via InsideCarolina on X. “I never show up anybody.”
The No. 12 Tar Heels fell to 4-3 on the season and haven't performed up to their expectations, as well as the fanbase's. While they've faced tough opponents (No. 1 Kansas, and No. 4 Auburn), the Tar Heels haven't lived up to the standards. Now, a loss to Michigan State doesn't help their cause, or Davis's.
North Carolina basketball and Hubert Davis could have more problems
Also, the ACC's top teams have faced their share of troubles. For example, Duke basketball also lost to No. 1 Kansas, as well as being upset by Kentucky basketball. While that's a product of the increased competition across the entirety of college basketball, the losses are strange for the blue bloods.
Following the loss, some fans believe that the Davis experiment in Chapel Hill should be over. However, conference play hasn't begun yet. With Duke challenging them as the main competitor, there are more teams this season. Stanford, California, and SMU are in the conference as well. They're not blue bloods in college basketball, but an upset can happen in every game. Considering the three losses they've had, other programs might aim to play their best ball against them.
However, it's the beginning of the season and overreactions are warranted. The 4-3 record isn't appealing, but it also matches UConn's record as well. While both teams are different in their own right, both are blue-bloods that are accustomed to success. The shock therapy has hit the college basketball world and might rule North Carolina out of any serious contention.
Despite that, they're still a blue blood, even with Davis. After the Maui Invitational, the schedule doesn't get easier for the Tar Heels, as they take on No. 9 Alabama. Luckily, they'll be in front of the home crowd but the high-octane offense could feed off of the bitterness that Davis might exude from Wednesday's controversial call.
