North Carolina fans expected better last season—and they’re letting head coach Hubert Davis hear about it. After another early exit in the NCAA Tournament, the spotlight is now squarely on Davis, mainly as he builds next year’s team.
Adding fuel to the fire? The Tar Heels are reportedly building one of the most expensive rosters in college basketball. According to 247Sports, Davis has financial backing worth at least $14 million amid the latest wave of NIL and revenue-sharing changes tied to the House v. NCAA case.
Hubert Davis’ Recruiting Record
With that kind of funding, fans expect results. Some even call for a return to the 2024 heights, when UNC won the ACC regular season and reached the Sweet 16. However, not everyone thinks Davis is the right coach to deliver.
In a recent episode of The Adam Gold Show on 99.9 The Fan, analyst Dennis Cox raised serious doubts about Davis’s recruiting résumé:
“A Davis recruited player has never made first team All-ACC. RJ Davis and Armando Bacot were Roy Williams recruits when Roy Williams was head coach,” Cox said.
“Not saying Davis didn’t have an impact in recruiting, assistant coaches definitely do, but Armando Bacot and RJ Davis, those guys were Roy Williams recruits.”
Bacot played for the Tar Heels from 2019 to 2024 and was named to the All-ACC First Team in 2022 and 2023. Davis also spent five years with UNC (2020–2025) and was named to the All-ACC First Team in 2024. That same year, he was named Conference Player of the Year.
According to Cox, the current roster does not appear to have players of that caliber:
“Does this team have the talent? Who’s the first team All-ACC guy…? That’s the big question I have going on. Not saying these players [currently on the roster] aren’t good, that’s not what I’m saying at all. Maybe it’s Caleb Wilson, that five-star recruit, the top 10 recruit, the big five-star, 6’9’’ forward, maybe it’s him, it could be, very well could be.”
It’s important to note that Davis did land at least one top recruit during his tenure, Elliot Cadeau, in 2023. However, he certainly won’t be able to count on Cadeau for next season, as he committed to Michigan in the transfer portal.
Following Roy Williams’ retirement, Hubert Davis was promoted from assistant to head coach in 2021. He has led North Carolina with mixed but promising results during his tenure.
His first season (2021–22) was a rollercoaster. He started unranked and surged late to reach the national championship game, where UNC fell to Kansas. Fueled by stars like Armando Bacot and Caleb Love, the run showcased Davis’ ability to rally a team.
However, the 2022–23 season was a significant disappointment, as preseason No. 1 UNC missed the NCAA Tournament entirely—the first time that’s happened to a top-ranked team. Davis faced criticism for roster construction and offensive stagnation.
The 2023–24 season brought some redemption: UNC won the ACC regular-season title behind RJ Davis and Bacot, earning a No. 1 seed before a Sweet 16 exit.
However, the 2024-25 season was another disappointment. The Tar Heels won just 13 of 20 conference games and 23 of 37 overall. They finished tied for third in the ACC regular season, then lost in the conference tournament’s semifinals and exited the NCAA Tournament in the first round.
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