North Carolina on the wrong side of history with Hubert Davis
The UNC basketball program made history in the wrong way against VCU.
The North Carolina Tar Heels entered the 2026 NCAA Tournament without their best player in Caleb Wilson and facing a very dangerous No. 11 seed in VCU. Despite that, the Tar Heels held a 19-point lead and a double-digit lead at halftime.
But as the second half went on, UNC lost its groove and the Rams started to make a charge. North Carolina scored just eight points in the final 12:11 of game including overtime before eventually falling 82-78 . The loss marks three-straight overall for the Tar Heels and the first time the program has lost in the first round in back-to-back tournaments.
However, the jarring stat sits solely on Hubert Davis's shoulders. In 50 NCAA Tournament games when North Carolina has led by at least 10 points at halftime, the Tar Heels are 48-2 all-time. Those two losses have both come under Davis ā the 2022 national championship against Kansas and Thursday night against VCU.
Ouch. North Carolina is now 48-2 when leading by 10+ at halftime in the NCAA Tournament. Both losses were under Hubert Davis.