Roundtable Time!!

So let's dig into it a little bit, shall we? We have Vashti Hurt from CarolinaBlitz.com, and we have Adam Smith from Inside Carolina.

They both join us as we do The Round Table. Camalot. Camalot.

It's only a model. Shit. All right. I saw... Actually, I didn't see Adam at the ACC tour. I don't know how I didn't see you, Adam Smith from Inside Carolina, but I've seen you before. I recognize you. I know what you look like. And I did see Vashti. I was everywhere.

The frequent flyer miles are just ridiculous. So let's start with the Wolfpack. I'll start with you, Adam, since I haven't seen you yet.

Your thoughts on why it ultimately ended where it ended for UNC? Well, I would say, first of all, it's good that you saw her rather than me. Yes, that's true.

I think that was probably better for your eyes and your entire experience. You're a handsome man. Stop it. Wow. Well, I needed that today, actually. Thank you.

You're welcome. Oh, my word. So, I mean, we could go for the next two hours about why it ended where it ended. I mean, you know, they got themselves into... I feel like a parent. You've made your bed here.

You're grounded. They got themselves into this position, and they could not get themselves out. You know, they lost last night. They were five and seven over the last 12 games. Now, that is not good at the most important time of the season. And then, you know, I mean, watching the UVA game last night, just another lesson in Tony Bennett just suffocating you, you know, like Reese Beekman was glued to Caleb Love. I mean, they just make everything so difficult, as we all know. And it was, you know, it was not to be for UNC.

No. And this, you know, there's a million different stats, but this team that started preseason number one is, I mean, going to have the NIT as its only consolation. And I don't think they're going to decide to play in the NIT. Yeah, we're going to talk about that. We're going to talk about that as well. Vashti, when Carolina beat Boston College the other day, and we saw, like, in some of their wins down the stretch, sometimes against lesser teams, whether it was Notre Dame or Florida State, or Virginia, you know, they obviously shot the ball well from outside. Do you think they got almost, like, they assumed that, all right, we're back, this is us, and they tried to just continue playing that way?

Absolutely. And Leakey said after the game that, you know, he felt like they came into the season looking ahead toward March. And now that March is here, it's time to show what they're about. And I'm sitting there like, well, y'all just beat Boston College. Let's not act like, you know, this is a top team. And so, yeah, I think they kind of got too high off of that Boston College win. And I think that, you know, with the Tar Heels, it was always, okay, we're going to turn it on. Just like last year, we're going to be able to turn it on, and we're going to be able to make that run. And this team is completely different, obviously.

There seems to have been a disconnect from the start, and they just were never able to turn it on. And to celebrate a win over BC in the second round of the ACC tournament, the way that they did to me, is beneath a program of UNC's caliber. Do you think they'll play in the NIT? I wouldn't. It's beneath, it's beneath the- Is the NIT really beneath North Carolina?

Why isn't it beneath other schools? Record wise, no. Record wise, no. But I don't see what they would get out of it, other than further embarrassing themselves. Unless they go on to win it, and I don't know if this team is in a mental state to do that.

You know, you have, what, a bunch of upperclassmen. It's not like they need experience. They just made a final four run last year. So you're not talking about a young team who's going to benefit from the experience of playing in an NIT for gel purposes, or just playing time. No, I mean, unless people are going to play all of the guys who never got any burn, which I don't think is going to happen, I just don't see how going to the NIT benefits Carolina.

To me, Adam, is it, am I crazy? Is it more about the program or more about the feelings of four guys who came back to do something different? Yeah, I mean, I don't know that I would agree that it's beneath Carolina. They've played in the NIT before. I mean, Hubert takes his cues from Dean Smith and Roy Williams, and they have played in the NIT. And I mean, UNC won the 2009 national title, you know, destroying Michigan State and Villanova in the final four. And then the next season they played in the 2010 NIT.

Right. But, you know, I think just if you take the pulse of these guys who we have talked to all season, you know, I don't think the players, at least in the moment last night, I didn't get that anyone wanted to play in the NIT. Now, knowing Hubert Davis, he doesn't like to tell people no. He might decide he doesn't want to say no or that it's a bad look to say no, you know, to sort of throw your nose up at the NIT. That might be Hubert's decision. But, you know, if you just take how it felt last night, I mean, Armando said he didn't want to play him.

And then he said, well, if Coach tells us, you know, if they decide, you know, if they come to a decision, you know, I mean, think about it. Think about Pete Nance. I mean, he hasn't, I know he hasn't been around as long as Leaky and Armando and Caleb and RJ, but he transferred to UNC to play in the NCAA tournament and to make a deep run. You know, he never played in the NCAA tournament.

And here he's sitting here on the outside looking in again. And Northwestern is the two seed in the Big Ten tournament and is definitely going to the NCAA tournament. That has to hurt also his former teammate, Ryan Young up the street.

Duke's probably going to be, I don't know, if they win the tournament, they could, Duke could end up on the four seed line at this point. Adam Smith from Inside Carolina and Vasht Ihert from CarolinaBlitz.com. But Adam, what about Dunn and Washington and all these guys that probably should have played more? Can't they benefit from playing this? What about them? I guess. Absolutely. They absolutely can. They absolutely can. Could you, I mean, you could get, let's get weird here. You could treat like a bowl game and you could say, you know, if you don't want to play, you can opt out.

I mean, you know, you could get all kinds of crazy with it. And yes, they're, and Seth Trimble and DeMarco Dunn and Dontre Stiles and Janela Washington and T Nick himself, Tyler Nickle. They all could benefit. They, one of the many reasons that Carolina is, again, is in this position is they have, they never developed a bench. They never have gotten a quality lift off the bench, nothing consistent. You know, Puff Johnson, maybe the most chaotic player you've ever seen in your life. I mean, he could pick up 3,005 minutes or he could make two threes and have a foot back and score eight points at five minutes. Um, but yes.

And, uh, but you know what? I mean, um, that, that, that to me is that to me, I think one of the many things that the Tar Heels need to do this all season is take a long look at how they're handling substitutions, because it's just sort of a seat of your pants type situation. I think they need to have someone in charge of subs, like Bill Guthridge used to do with Dean Smith. I mean, I hate to take this way back, but you know, I think they need to have somebody in charge of saying Hubert, we need to get Seth Trimble in for Caleb love right now, you know, but that's another discussion altogether. Do you think like maybe that was Hubert's mistake, not developing a bench early, especially when the same guys were doing the same things that not, I'm saying led to losses, but, uh, weren't necessarily, you know, kind of adding up to wins. I mean, there's no question and, and, and going back, I mean, that's why, I mean, if, if, if UNC is up 20 points with five minutes in the second half, and you still have your starters in the game, I don't understand why we would think that Hubert Davis would change the formula and play the bench guys in the, in it. That's why I said, if he's, if he's going to do the same thing, it doesn't help the program at all. And, and plenty of times I'm looking at the game and why isn't Jalen Washington getting more burn? Why wasn't he getting more burn yesterday when Armando Baycott was on the bench and Pete Nance was struggling, you know, in, in, in the game and defending, why not put Jalen Washington in there and see if he can give you a lift and his first game, he definitely provided a lift for the Cardinals when he came in. So that is going to be a question mark and a knock on Hubert Davis's season is like, bro, why did you not utilize this talent on your bench more?

And then also we're going to see that the transfer portal is real. And the question now is, all right, I didn't get to play. You know, people are looking like parents are looking and, and other schools and other coaches are looking and saying, look, this guy didn't give you burn and you got, and your team was up 20 in the second quarter. Come to me, come to death row. We'll give you playing time. So.

All right, here's, let me follow that up with this and this angle. How many of the guys who can come back? Armando can come back. Love can come back. Davis can come back.

How many of those guys will? I think that, and, and I'm going to be very candid with you, Adam. I don't see Caleb returning. Uh, it's just been a really rough year for him. Uh, from the, from the looks on, on socials, a lot of fans have kind of turned on him after the heroics of last year. I think RJ loves Carolina. I think RJ returned Armando is the one who really has a question to answer because, you know, in listening to him yesterday, it sounded like, you know, there's, there was a sense of finality to his, to his speech. However, from a practical standpoint, NIL has been very good to him. And so if he comes back another year, he, he, he looks to gain from another year of, of, of being in that Carolina system and they love him in Chapel Hill.

So I think that once he takes a look back and looks at, at everything, I think Armando comes back. But, you know, I don't know if that's a good thing for the targets who may need a hard reset in order to move forward. Oh, there's no question about that. Let me just throw a state question at both of you. It doesn't seem to me like state's really mad about last night. Maybe I'm more mad cause I thought they could win it.

Um, but I think that's why I'm mad because they just kind of went away Vashti. Some teams just have your number. And that's what I sensed when I went into the NC State locker room. It was like, man, Clemson just is a bad matchup for us. They've blown us out.

Uh, and that's just something we can live with. We've done enough to make it to the tournament. If they hadn't done enough in their eyes to make it to the tournament, I think that, you know, maybe there would have been, you know, at least more fight in them against that, against that Clemson team. But I think that they're comfortable with their resume. And they just took that one on the chin and said, listen, Clemson is just not that they're, I don't think they feel like Clemson is a better team. They're just a bad matchup for them.

And they were able to live with it. All right. Adam, what's the difference between state's resume and Carolina's resume other than the win over Duke with one of the best savings rates in America banking with capital one is the easiest decision in the history of decisions. Even easier than choosing slash to be in your band. Next up for lead guitar. You're in. Cool. Yep.

Even easier than that. And with no fees or minimums on checking and savings accounts, is it even a decision? That's banking reimagined. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capitalone.com slash bank for details.

Capital one and a member FDIC. Everyone loves TV dad on the next TV dad presented by progressive TV dad explains becoming a man. Some it's time we had the talk.

Okay. TV dad, you know, drivers who switch and save with progressive could save hundreds. Oh, is that why my voice is changing? That's a question for your health teacher. Listen to your TV dad drivers who switch and save with progressive could save hundreds progressive casualty insurance company and affiliates.

Potential savings will vary. All these resumes are the same. I mean, you know, where's someone get producer Victoria up with the blind resumes and we can all look like morons. You know, like, you know, Pitt, Clemson, NC State, Carolina. I mean, it's not, uh, it has not been a banner year in the ACC though. I would agree with you that, uh, you know, I think Duke is going in the right way.

Um, you know, and I think John Shire's, uh, pushing the right buttons and he's got everybody healthy. And I think the pieces have come together there for the Dukies. Um, at least that's how it looks right now, before they play Miami and ACC tournament semi-finals. But, uh, you know, I think it's going to be interesting with NC State because, uh, you know what it could be, if they're able to get in and win a game, that would be the first tournament win for Keats, would it not?

Yes, it would be. I think they're, I think they are going to get in, but their resume's not so great. I guess my, my overall disappointment is that this was a winnable tournament for them because there's nobody in this field that is great. And they've got three dynamite guards, or at least two dynamite, you know, point guard type players.

And they just kind of went away. After the show, they put on against the Hokies, Virginia Tech on Wednesday night. I was like, Oh my God, you know, they are going to, they're going to be out for blood after having getting beaten so badly by Clemson during the regular season. And I was like, they're going to just dog walk them. And it's going to be either NC State against Miami or Duke in the semi in the final. And it's going to be just, I mean, it's just going to be a show, you know, like how is, this is what I thought. Well, I guess you would have to still get through Virginia. That's exactly it.

It's not exactly a fun, it's like going to the dentist. Yeah. That's Adam Smith from Inside Carolina.

As we say goodbye, I want to ask Vashti one thing on the way out. Why aren't the Panthers going hard after Lamar Jackson, do you think? I want to know why any quarterback needing team isn't going hard after Lamar Jackson.

I mean, there's something funny in the water, especially with everyone coming out so quickly and saying, Oh, you know, we're not interested. And I think the owners have gotten together and said, look, we are not the Deshaun Watson contract will be an anomaly. We are not going to be in the practice of giving out guaranteed money. And Lamar is saying, look, you gave Deshaun with every thing going on with him. You gave him this money and I am a former MVP quarterback.

And I want the same thing. And I think the other quarterbacks are back there, you know, the, the Joe Burrows, the Justin Herbert, they're looking to see what happens with Lamar and the owners just aren't having it. And so I, the way this plays out, it'll be very interesting because a team, the owner who, the owner who bucks first and says, bump it, I just want to win. Everybody's going to be mad at him.

And it'll be interesting to see if that happens. But that's why Lamar, that's why what's going on with Lamar is going on is collusion. Yeah, it is collusion. It is the contract. I understand why they don't want to give him that contract, but that's the reason. It's not that they don't want to win. It's like, we're not doing that just because the Browns were dumb or did that. And they did that for the wrong guy anyway.

We're not, we're not going to do it. Everyone loves TV Dad. On the next TV Dad presented by Progressive, TV Dad explains becoming a man.

Son, it's time we had the talk. Okay, TV Dad. You know, drivers who switch and save with Progressive could save hundreds. Oh, is that why my voice is changing? That's a question for your health teacher.

Listen to your TV Dad. Drivers who switch and save with Progressive could save hundreds. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. Potential savings will vary.