According to Inside Carolina’s Greg Barnes, UNC’s financial outlay has soared to $14 million for the upcoming season. And it’s not just roster spending – it’s infrastructure too. The program now boasts 16 employees split between Davis’ six-person coaching staff and ten full-time support members. Even Executive Director and GM Jim Tanner, hired just three months ago, is earning $850,000 annually. His role, part recruiter, part dealmaker, has become central to UNC’s NIL and transfer portal success. But will the returns, this massive spending, match the receipts?

So far, no, because AP voters don’t seem convinced. UNC just barely snuck into the AP men’s college basketball preseason Top 25 in last place, but even that looks shocking to former Gators coach Matt McCall, who didn’t hold back when asked about overrated teams in the rankings. 

“I just need to see more from Carolina. There were gripes about them even getting into the NCAA tournament last year. I’ll never forget that I was live on Sirius XM when it happened. How are they deserving of being in the field? Please tell me their best win at that point in time was UCLA, who gave the game away in December in Madison Square Garden,” McCall said on The Field of 68 After Dark.

“I know it’s a big year for Coach Davis. He’s one of the good guys. You don’t want to root against anybody. You’ve got to show us something that you’re deserving just outside of your roster and outside of making the NCAA tournament last season. You’ve got to show something on why you’re in the top 25.” And yes, his words hit at the heart of skepticism – that’s because, on paper, the Tar Heels look loaded.

They’ve got Seth Trimble, second on the team last year, averaging 28.6 minutes per game, returning to the roster. Helping him would be Kyan Evans, a junior transfer from Colorado State, where he spent two seasons and established himself as one of the top perimeter shooters by hitting 47% of his shots from the field.

Then there’s Luca Bogava, who spent two seasons playing professionally in Montenegro’s Adriatic Basketball Association. But that’s not it – Caleb Wilson, a highly touted freshman known for his length and athleticism, will also be coming in. Also, we’ve Henri Veesaar, a junior transfer from Arizona who played the past two seasons in the Big 12.

So yes, on paper, it’s all good, but as McCall said, they’ve got much more to prove. As  Gary Parrish shared during June’s episode of the Eyes on College Basketball, “And so, North Carolina has put Hubert in position to succeed. Now it’s up to him and his staff to do it. But I will say: if this is one of the five, six or seven most expensive rosters in college basketball — to me at least — it doesn’t look like one of the five, six or seven best rosters in college basketball.” Hubert, as a head coach for UNC, had lived both the dream and the disappointment.

His debut run to the 2022 national title game felt like the perfect handoff from the Roy Williams era, but since then, UNC’s identity has wavered. Even last season, the Tar Heels finished the regular season with a 20-12 record, enough to get a fifth seed in the 2025 ACC Tournament.  Then, they received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and were an eleven-seed placed in the First Four in the South Region, where they defeated San Diego State to advance to the full tournament.

But eventually the team was eliminated in the first round by sixth-seeded Ole Miss. But it ain’t about just last season though. The Tar Heels have been on the brink of missing the NCAA tournament twice in three years. And for a program with UNC’s prestige, that kind of inconsistency simply doesn’t cut it. So, the team’s provided Davis with a top-25 roster built for results, not excuses. Now, the team ideally should be comfortably in the Big Dance. “Doesn’t mean it can’t turn into one of the five, six, seven best teams,” Parrish added.

What’s Next for UNC?

The UNC heads west, flying to Salt Lake City for its first live game action against BYU. Well, this preseason exhibition isn’t just a tune-up. For Davis, it’s a chance to learn about his No. 25 Tar Heels in a way he never could during those practice sessions. “There are huge benefits in playing games like this,” Davis said in a Smith Center press conference. “Obviously, playing against such a really good opponent in BYU gives us an opportunity to be able to take a clear look at ourselves – on things that we’re doing well and things that we need to improve on before the regular season starts.”

But, of course, to take over the No. 8 Cougars, the team comes well prepared. “From a defensive standpoint, I’ve been clear and definitive that we have to be a really good defensive team and a good rebounding team for us to have a chance to be the best team we can possibly become.”

He added during an interview with 247Sports, “Looking at our pace, we play at a tremendous pace, taking care of the basketball and doing a much better job this year of getting to the offensive glass.” No doubt, the environment will help reveal much more about the team’s identity, as the head coach called it an “invaluable experience.”

But while Hubert’s got his expectations set, the upcoming game won’t be as easy as it may seem. Mainly because the opponent team features Dybantsa – once recruited by Davis – who’s coming off a 30-point performance in BYU’s 90–89 exhibition loss at Nebraska. Even Montenegrin wing Luka Bogavac, who’s still working out institutional issues, got chances to play this time. So while this exhibition game won’t count, it will mark the sixth all-time meeting between the Cougars and the Tar Heels. What do you think? Will the Tar Heels be able to prove themselves?