What happened to UNC?

I guess it's, I'll just leave it open. Where did this all go wrong? We'll work sort of backwards.

We'll work, you know, kind of the macro, then into the micro. Where did this all go wrong this year? That's a great question. I mean, I feel like coming into the season, probably early on, they didn't really address, and I don't know if it was a matter of players.

I always got the sense that they felt like they could turn it on when they need to, even though they had early kind of red flags, and I think that just kind of lingered. Like, there wasn't enough done to actually address the flaws. I feel like they just kind of patched them over, you know, and it just didn't work out as we've seen.

But you know what's crazy though, Adam? I know what the record is and everything, but I feel like until Selection Sunday and their name is not called, I'm not going to sit here and say that they're not going to be in a tournament. And I say that because I feel like we are certainly looking at the trees, and we have been all season without seeing the forest, and so much has been made about quad one wins and that kind of stuff. But there is a case to be made for Carolina. It's not the strongest case we've heard, but they played a very competitive non-conference schedule when you look at it. I think the fact that they didn't lose any bad games, there are just things like, there's so many bubble teams out there, like for instance, like somebody like Utah State from the Mountain West Conference, and they didn't play the same quality of teams Carolina played on their schedule. Now, they have more quad one wins just kind of based on the metrics of it all, but is beating New Mexico the same as beating NC State?

Not to me. We'll see. We'll see if the brand of North Carolina, we'll see if just kind of being good enough, because they were good enough to compete. They didn't win any. Well, they didn't win many of those big games, but they outside of one bad half against Wake Forest, where they really just, which was really the Duke hangover, because we saw Duke have the same hangover Carolina hangover and lose to Miami, that same game following. They basically competed in every game, and they were right there a lot of times. I mean, they were two points last night with two minutes left against Virginia. Yeah, and if they had made more second half free throws, they might have pulled even.

CL Brown from the News & Observers joining us here on the Adam Gold Tour, you and I have talked about this aspect I want to get to. You have been, I don't know if critical is the right word, I think if there is one area of constructive criticism for the head coach this year, it's that he did not rely on and develop a rotation of bench players. It was still the same kind of formula from last year, which is, here's my guys, and maybe we'll sprinkle in one or two others occasionally, but only as needed. And I thought that there was, especially throughout the season when it was so sporadic, when the shooting wasn't there, when the defense wasn't there, that there could have been more kind of extracted from all of these guys who really didn't play a lot.

We saw that a little bit in the second round game, right? We saw the bench play a big role in that. Would that be a fair criticism of Hubert Davis this year? Oh, I think that's more than fair, especially considering coming into the year he talked about the need to develop depth and he talked about the two games last year where he felt like they looked tired, which was the Virginia Tech loss in the ACC tournament and the national championship game against Kansas.

And then you look at last night, you know, Armando Baycock injury situation. If Jayla Washington had been getting steady minutes since he got healthy, you know, which I think his first game was Georgia Tech in December, if I'm not mistaken. And he played well in the game at Virginia. So he's, he's played against that defense and, you know, at least as vaguely familiar, not saying he wouldn't have, wouldn't have had any mistakes last night, but he doesn't get in the game.

I just, I don't understand that. Now, obviously there was a lot of other stuff to ask last night that, you know, to me, that was more pressing than why didn't Jaylin Washington play. But, you know, I think that the lack of the bench development is, is a legitimate question and we can, we can really go down the line. I mean, Dontre styles played, he didn't play against Virginia, but he played the last three games leading up.

And before that he was kind of like ghosted. So, and I felt like he was somebody who could contribute and help, and I'm not sure he's much better now than he was a year ago when he was just getting, you know, playing sparingly as a freshmen, but he did have the big three against Baylor and in the NCAA tournament, you feel like moments like that is something that a player can kind of build off of. But I mean, I don't really think he had a chance to build off of it this year.

So, you know, you, you look at it a lot of, a lot of squads who can point to one or two guys on the bench to give them a boost, whether it's defensively coming in to shut somebody down or offensively, just, you know, providing three points shooting or something like that. And Carolina, you can't really point at somebody and say, this guy is going to consistently do it for Carolina. We're going to look back on this season and wonder why Caleb love didn't take another step forward or even maintain the way he was a year ago. I'm sure this was a very difficult season for him internally, because I'm sure he was trying to figure out why can't I do what I did even last year, which was streaky anyway. But he took some bad shots last night.

And I mean, it just was never really good for Caleb. What do you think he's going through? 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 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. That's that's a good question. I actually was, you know, trying to report this story about Kayla because I kind of think he he gets a bad rap. I think he's a bit misunderstood. He's not a selfish player.

He's I think what says it best. I asked Coach K this one time and we're talking about how the question was about the lack of players who could make good entry passes anymore. Right.

You know, to the post. But the game has changed so much. They're not used to doing it. But Coach K was basically talking about how now a lot of guys work with trainers. And so their skill set is off the charts.

And it's better than it was, you know, a generation ago. But they don't play as many games, just pick up games and just playing the game. And I feel like Caleb falls into that category, that he is he is kind of been built up based on his individual skills and talent. But he hasn't been able to translate that into, you know, the game and playing within this unit. And so when he takes those shots that you roll your eyes at, it's a shot that it's more from I can make this shot and and it's more from the work that he always uses the phrase he trusts his work. So it's from that that kind of framework where he's used to taking these shots in practice and in his training. But it's not in the scope of this is the shot that should come from the flow of this offense. You know what I'm saying? Yes, absolutely.

But I also think that also to me falls under Hubert Davis. I think as a coach, if you have a player who's not understanding that, you've got to make them understand that, you know, and and without killing his spirit. I mean, I understand it's a delicate balance, but, you know, I do think it's something that probably should have landed Caleb on the bench a little bit more during the season. Like, let's talk about this. Let's just see what what just happened. But, you know, obviously it didn't happen that way. But Caleb definitely to me took the same shots he took last year.

Like, it's not like he came out doing something we hadn't seen him do before. They weren't good. They weren't good last year either.

But they they just went they went in sometimes. And when when he had his streak, all I was looking for was give me five great minutes. If you give me five great minutes, I think Carolina is going to win the game because he can be explosive in those, you know, 10, 12 points in five minutes. CL Brown, final thing for you. And then we'll say goodbye.

Let you go about the rest of your Friday. The there is some notion that the Tar Heels will decline a bid to the NIT if it comes to that. What are your thoughts on that? Do you think they will decline?

And I mean, I can editorialize you don't have to. But what do you think they'll do? Yeah, I mean, from I knows immediately after the game, and sometimes you just kind of got to take people's comments because of the emotion with a grain of salt. But there really didn't seem to be the will to play an NIT game didn't really seem to be there. Most most of them were noncommittal in their answers. They didn't flat out say no. Baycott probably had the strongest words and his was something to the effect of he doesn't think he'd be interested in playing it. But if coach Davis or the team or whatever, wanted to play, he'd play, you know? And so and Caleb Love actually said that he'd play like, if that's what it is, he'll do it when something. So yeah, yeah. So I don't know. Maybe after they have some days to think about it, maybe maybe it'll change.

But, you know, as of right now, I don't think they would accept an invitation. Wow, that's gonna be that's gonna be a couple of days of good radio. CL Brown at CL Brown Hoops from the News & Observer covers the Tar Heels. Thank you very much, my friend. I'll talk to you soon.

Alright, appreciate you. Have a good one. Everyone loves TV Dad. On the next TV Dad presented by Progressive, TV Dad explains becoming a man.

Some it's time we had to 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.