Davis reflects on UNC’s collapse: ‘Sometimes the ball doesn’t go in’

Hubert Davis struggled to pinpoint exactly what went wrong for North Carolina down the stretch of Thursday’s 82-78 overtime loss to 11-seed VCU in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Tar Heels led by as many as 19 points in the contest but were outscored 23-8 by the Rams in the final 9:31 of regulation and 7-3 in the extra frame.

“Just because you miss a shot doesn’t mean something’s wrong,” Davis told reporters postgame, per On3’s Cade Shoemaker. “We had open looks. We had shots at the basket. We had executed plays. And we miss eight free throws. Sometimes the ball doesn’t go in.”

Over the final 15 minutes of the game, North Carolina made just four field goals, turned over the ball five times, and missed six free throws.

Meanwhile, VCU guard Terrence Hill Jr., who capped a career-high 34-point night with a game-winning triple, scored 17 points during that same span.

The Tar Heels’ last field goal came with 2:44 remaining in regulation, with Seth Trimble providing the team’s lone points in overtime at the free-throw line.

North Carolina is now 48-2 in the Big Dance when leading by at least 10 points at halftime, with both defeats happening under Davis’ watch, according to Bryan Ives of the ACC Network.

The Tar Heels also surrendered a 15-point lead to Kansas in the 2022 national championship.

Davis signed a contract extension in February 2025 that runs through the 2029-30 campaign.

Despite the disappointing finish, Trimble pledged his support for Davis following the team’s season-ending loss.

“Everybody has their flaws,” Trimbel said, per Patrick Welter of WRAL News in NC. “Coach Davis isn’t the perfect coach, but he’s a coach that’s made me better. He’s a coach that’s made guys better, and he’s shown that he can win here.

“I know he gets hate. Over the last four years, I know he’s got a lot of it. But I’m gonna continue to ride with him.

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