The North Carolina Tar Heels have been on quite the rollercoaster under Coach Hubert Davis. From reaching the NCAA championship game in his very first season to missing the tournament despite being the number 1 preseason team, then bouncing back with an ACC title in 2023, before barely making it into the field of 64 last year. It’s been a wild ride! But, for a program with UNC’s rich history, this kind of inconsistency isn’t acceptable. Expectations are always sky-high, and now an ESPN analyst is turning up the heat even more.

Despite the ups and downs, this season signals a new era for UNC. They not only extended Hubert Davis’ contract through the 2029-30 season but also made a historic move by hiring former NBA agent Jim Tanner as their first-ever executive director and GM. It was clear that the program was getting serious and big investments were on the way!

According to Greg Barnes of Inside Carolina, North Carolina has tripled its spending compared to last season, committing over $14 million to this season’s squad. That puts them in the conversation with the top five highest-spending programs in the country. It’s a clear signal that UNC is serious about keeping pace with college basketball’s heavyweights. But despite the big investment, early signs have left analysts skeptical.

ESPN’s Tim Donnelly didn’t hold back when sharing his thoughts on UNC’s offseason spending. Speaking on 99.9 The Fan’s YouTube channel, he said, “I’m not saying this is a cheap roster, but I don’t see top-five. And if you’ve spent top-five money, you should have top-five talent, that’s how the market works, right?”

UNC didn’t exactly land the superstar names it had hoped for after bringing in Jim Tanner. So, where did the $14 million go? Well, the 2024-25 roster features nine new faces. Six of them arrived through the transfer portal and the remaining three are freshmen led by 5-star recruit Caleb Wilson.

Alongside Caleb Wilson, the Tar Heels added Isaiah Denis and Derek Dixon from the high school ranks. From the transfer portal, they brought in Jonathan Powell, Henri Veesaar, Kyan Evans, Jarin Stevenson, Jaydon Young, and Luka Bogavac. On paper, the roster looks well-balanced.

But there’s talk that Hubert Davis’ coaching style, big on defense and team play, might not be the easiest fit for everyone. ESPN analysts have noted that some of the incoming transfers may need time to adjust to Davis’ system, especially those used to different setups.

One major win for Hubert Davis this offseason? No more guessing games at the 5. With Henri Veesaar in the mix, UNC finally has a dependable big man to hold down the paint. It’s a welcome change after last season’s constant center shuffle. Despite that key upgrade, the Tar Heels still lack that true game-changing star. And when you’re investing $14 million, fans would expect a deep big dance run and not a Sweet 16 exit. Can Davis and co meet those expectations? Only time will tell!

Besides leading the Tar Heels this season, Davis is also taking on coaching duties for another team. Let’s dive into the details!

USA Basketball makes Hubert Davis decision

Ahead of the 2025 USA Basketball Men’s U19 National Team training camp at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, USA Basketball revealed the list of 33 athletes set to participate,  along with the coaches who will be evaluating them!

Davis will take on the role of court coach, helping out head coach Tommy Lloyd throughout the training camp. He’ll be joined by Alabama’s Nate Oats and Kentucky’s Mark Pope as the other court coaches for this year’s camp. This gig can also help UNC recruit some top freshmen for the 2026 class!

It’ll be interesting to watch how UNC performs this season with Davis and Tanner leading the way. The team might not have a true superstar, but they definitely look more balanced than last year’s guard-heavy squad. With all the chatter around team chemistry and the pressure of that $14 million price tag, Davis has his work cut out for him. Can he get this team to gel and make a deep March Madness run? Or will the weight of expectations and early adjustments hold them back? Only time will tell.