Suddenly, it’s back to a three-game season for the Tar Heels.
Two and a half weeks ago, Carolina faced three straight road games that had the chance to make or break its 2021 basketball hopes. After starting the ACC season with road losses at N.C. State and Georgia Tech, the Heels won five of their next six to stand 5-3 in the league going to sizzling Pitt in what looked like a very big game.
They won impressively, and even after laying an egg a week later at Clemson, Carolina posted its biggest victory so far at Duke to stand 7-4 with a Monday game against underdog Miami in Chapel Hill. Then we all know what happened due to a victory party gone awry.
With the Miami game postponed, if not cancelled, Roy Williams’ club now faces its fourth straight road game and arguably its toughest test to date at 9th-ranked Virginia Saturday afternoon. Then come two at home against Virginia Tech and Louisville, the teams right behind Virginia and Florida State in the ACC standings.
The loss at Clemson and missing the Miami opportunity means Carolina must win at least one of the next three to stay above the .500 mark and remain in contention for the coveted top four spots in the ACC regular-season standings and a first-round tournament bye.
So, would you call that one step forward and one step back?
The Cavaliers (10-1 and 14-3 overall) don’t have the famous names of recent years but a team that nevertheless is playing together like their predecessors behind emerging star Sam Hauser, senior center Jay Huff and a small, underrated junior point guard with a very good assist-turnover ratio.
William said Friday morning before the team departed for Charlottesville that everyone was making the trip and would not comment beyond that it was a private off-campus team party. They are all sorely need to spring an upset of the Wahoos.
Mack Brown said throughout the football season that the only certainty is uncertainty. And now we can say the same, with certainty, about where Carolina goes from here.
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