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Have you ever seen a narrative change like this within 48 hours?
Going into the NCAA Tournament, Carolina was the story for missing the Big Dance and turning down the square dance. And, according to social media extremists, Hubert Davis was on his way out as head man of the Tar Heels.
Then Tony Bennett, considered the best coach in the ACC, lost in the round of 64 for the third time in his last four NCAA tourneys, including the first No. 1 seed to lose to a 16 in 2018 (plus a quarterfinals loss in the NIT).
Then Matt Painter, the Purdue coach considered among the best in the country, joined Bennett as the second coach to lose to a 16. The top-seeded Boilers lost to tiny Fairleigh Dickinson in a fairly ridiculous upset Friday, a year after losing to 15th-seed St. Peter’s.
Then, of course, wunderkind prodigy Jon Scheyer, confirmed that youth (in coaching and playing) doesn’t win NCAA games against older, tougher teams. Tennessee coach Rick Barnes, who as a young wise guy at Clemson took on Dean Smith 28 years ago, won the rock fight with Duke he wanted.
The narrative also brings into play the age-old question for Tar Heel fans: what makes you happier, a Carolina win or a Duke loss? Hmmm.
Back to Hubert, who is busy reimagining his roster for next season. Without standing arms crossed on the sideline of a single postseason game, his narrative is decidedly different with the heat suddenly reduced.
After all, who is the ACC head coach having most recently reached the Final Four? Hubert, with only Miami’s Jim Larrañaga eligible to change that fact.
Davis and Scheyer now have a different juxtaposition as fledgling caretakers of the greatest rivalry in college basketball.
Hubert has to hang on to as many positive pieces of his second team while selectively hitting the transfer portal to regain offensive efficiency and dominating rebounding that triggered UNC’s surprise trip to the 2022 Final Four.
Scheyer has an even bigger challenge as he examines the 10-year tradition of signing one-and-done classes at Duke. Three freshmen (Filipowski, Lively and Whitehead) are projected first-round NBA draft picks but could come back.
If two or three of them return, Scheyer may have too many players next season with another 5-star class of five coming who all want to play enough to raise their own draft stock. After that, Scheyer may want to tweak the Coach K model, saying recently he will use the transfer portal more.
That could help him alter the proven narrative that freshmen, no matter how tall and skilled, lack strength and toughness to beat veteran, talented teams like Tennessee that use their physicality and ferocity to win big games.
Featured image via Associated Press/Chris O’Meara
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