North Carolina’s head coach, Hubert Davis, has been emphasizing the critical nature of focusing on the finer details in recent weeks. This week, the Tar Heels will certainly need to pay attention to these details more than ever.
Having already faced one of the most challenging schedules in the country, the Tar Heels are set to play against the unbeaten seventh-ranked Florida in Charlotte as part of the Jumpman Invitational on Tuesday. They will then travel to Madison Square Garden on Saturday to challenge No. 18 UCLA, which is currently on an impressive eight-game winning streak. This comes after North Carolina experienced defeats against eighth-ranked Kansas, No. 2 Auburn, No. 20 Michigan State, and No. 6 Alabama, along with securing a significant win over No. 21 Dayton.
Davis noted, “There’s a job and responsibility out there. There is no more, ‘My bad, I’ll get it the next possession.’ Every possession counts.” His team recently garnered back-to-back victories against Georgia Tech and La Salle. He emphasizes the importance of “being detailed in our approach,” explaining to the players that success comes from concentrating on the little things: setting screens, executing plays, positioning correctly on offense, securing rebounds, and communicating effectively on defense.
The Tar Heels’ dedication to this messaging has been evident; they led La Salle 42-25 at halftime, ultimately winning 93-67 in a decisive fashion. They now have additional chances, including a game against Campbell, to earn some crucial victories before delving into the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) schedule, where they will face Louisville on New Year’s Day.
Guard Seth Trimble, who is the second-leading scorer for the team, echoed Davis’s philosophy, saying, “(Hubert Davis) has been saying, ‘Play free. Play free. Play you. Be you.’” He added that the players are beginning to release stresses associated with external expectations, allowing them to perform better.
As for Florida, they have climbed two spots to reach No. 7 after a convincing win over Arizona State, marking their highest ranking since they were sixth in the 2019 preseason poll. The Gators are one of only five remaining unbeaten teams in Division I basketball, alongside Tennessee, Oklahoma, Drake, and Utah State, making this only the third instance of a 10-0 start in the program’s history. Their closest game was an 87-74 victory against Florida State, with an average margin of victory of 21.1. Florida is about to face tougher competition, including North Carolina, fourth-ranked Kentucky, and top-ranked Tennessee as they gear up for the SEC season.
In the Big East, Xavier narrowly lost to cross-town rival No. 19 Cincinnati with a score of 68-65. They are poised to face two highly touted teams this week as they kick off conference play, starting with two-time defending national champion UConn, now ranked No. 11, followed by a game at home against No. 9 Marquette. The Musketeers have also encountered losses against No. 24 Michigan and TCU this season.
This week appears to be relatively subdued in the Top 25 as many teams are in the midst of final exams. There is, however, an exciting matchup planned for Wednesday between No. 14 Oklahoma and Michigan, a captivating showdown on Friday when Cincinnati plays against Dayton, and a Saturday game featuring No. 21 Memphis facing off against Mississippi State, a team that has just dropped out of the AP rankings.
Variations in rankings can be seen in the NCAA’s NET rankings released, which placed Auburn at No. 1, while AP voters favored Tennessee in the top position for the second consecutive week. The NET and KenPom had Tennessee at No. 2 with Bart Torvik placing Houston, despite its 6-3 record, at No. 2, followed by Duke and Tennessee. Notably, the NET ranked Pittsburgh at No. 12, even though they were unranked by the AP, while KenPom had St. John’s high at No. 16, another team not recognized in the AP. Bart Torvik had Maryland at No. 17 and Texas Tech at No. 18.