North Carolina’s defensive issues were on full display once again Saturday afternoon, and this time, it might’ve been just as bad as ever.
In an 84-78 loss to Cal, UNC found itself chasing the game almost immediately, digging a hole that was too big to overcome from the start.
While UNC showed life in the second half, the damage had already been done, largely because of what happened on the defensive end early.
After the game, head coach Hubert Davis again complained about the defense, something he’s done for months now.
“We weren't playing defense. They were shooting over 50% from the field. They were getting layups, threes … from a number of different sources. I went to zone a little bit, just to try to change it up. That helped a little bit, but it's never gonna be something that we live on.
“But what changed in the second half was a sense of urgency. And that's a sense of urgency that has to be there from the start. It can't be when you're down 17. It has to be when it's 0-0. And that's a part of this team that is gonna have to grow,” he said, per Rodd Baxley.
By the time UNC began to show any life, the deficit was just too much, as UNC actually played well for a lot of the second-half.
The troubling part again is that this has become a recurring theme. North Carolina has shown it can compete when its back is against the wall, but why do we have to keep getting there? Why can’t we just come out do what’s needed from the first minute?
Despite the problems, Davis believes his team can overcome them and is looking forward to doing so.
“This is the first time that this team has hit a little adversity, and one of the things that you have to understand is every team goes through it.
“Whether it's at the beginning of the year, middle of the year, or toward the end of the year, you have to find a way to fight through it. And this team will. Got great leadership, great kids. I love coaching them, and at the end of the day, we'll be there.”
Right now, it feels fair to question if UNC can.