UNC basketball’s vibes are all good after sixth straight win. Tar Heels’ focus now? Duke
The North Carolina locker room was so loud Tuesday night, so much like a karaoke night at Cassell Coliseum, that Cooper Flagg might have been able to hear it somewhere in Durham.
It was after the Tar Heels had demolished Virginia Tech, 91-59, after UNC had won a sixth straight ACC game with such decisiveness, such ease that UNC coach Hubert Davis, always a man on the move, could rest easily in the final minutes.
And so there was much noise and voices heard.
“Just vibes, man,” freshman Ian Jackson said, smiling. “We’re feeling good and we’ve got a good thing going.”
Added guard R.J. Davis, “It’s a sign we’re having fun.”
After a horrendous 20-point loss at Clemson on Feb. 10, which was no fun, the Heels found themselves in what guard Seth Trimble and others called a “do-or-die situation.” Either turn the season around, immediately, and start winning games or forget about being a part of the NCAA Tournament.
It wasn’t lip service. The Heels went to Syracuse and won. They blew out N.C. State on a snowy night in Chapel Hill. They outfought Virginia at the Smith Center, then went to Florida State and won.
At Virginia Tech, the Heels trailed 23-21 with 7:44 left in the first half. The Hokies, playing without leading scorer Tobi Lawal, were making enough 3’s and doggedly making a game of it.
And then the Heels led by 17 points at halftime and won by 32. In one stage of the game, they outscored the Hokies 48-12.
“That speaks for itself,” Trimble said. “We’re playing for each other and finally realizing the special opportunity that we have and realize we only get a few more games to make the most of it.”
UNC coach Hubert Davis refused to let his team look past the trip to Virginia Tech — which beat the Heels in Cassell two seasons ago — and begin thinking about the rematch with Duke and all that will go with that on Senior Night.
R.J. Davis has treated it the way. The fifth year player will take his last bow in the Smith Center on Saturday and realizes Senior Day will create all kinds of emotions after all he has put into the UNC program.
“All the games, the practices,” he said. “Being a UNC athlete, for it to be my last time to play on that floor, is definitely going to hit me.
“My approach to the game will be to enjoy every moment. It’s going to be my last time playing on that court, running out of that tunnel. So enjoy every single moment.”
No one at UNC enjoyed anything about the first game this season against the No. 2 Blue Devils in Durham. Duke led from start to finish, bombing in ten 3-pointers, and Cameron Indoor Stadium rocked.
But the Tar Heels insisted after Tuesday’s game, when they finally could turn their focus to Duke, that it will be a more complete, more confident UNC team that will take the floor Saturday.
“Our togetherness has been huge for us,” Jackson said. “I think we’ve got a whole bunch of guys who have figured out who they are and have stepped up and can impact games in a lot of ways.”
R.J. Davis had an impact in the first half, scoring all 15 of his points. But his coach was just as impressed with Davis diving on the floor for a loose ball, calling it one of the little plays in a game that can lead to bigger things.
Jackson would be the leading scorer with 19 points, He, too, let his voice be heard in the locker room.
And Saturday? What is he expecting with Flagg and the Blue Devils in the building?
“Oh man, I’m not sure but I’m ready for it,” Jackson said. “We’re ready, man. Our crowd is ready. We want to get a win.”
This story was originally published March 5, 2025 at 6:00 AM with the headline "UNC basketball’s vibes are all good after sixth straight win. Tar Heels’ focus now? Duke."
