2022–23 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team

In this article, we are going to explore in depth the fascinating world of 2022–23 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team. From its origins to its current evolution, we will discover all the facets and aspects that make 2022–23 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team such an intriguing and relevant topic today. We will analyze its impact in different areas, as well as its social, cultural, and economic implications. With the help of experts and trusted sources, we will take a look at its influence on the modern world and how it has shaped the way we see and understand 2022–23 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team. Prepare to be immersed in a journey that will leave you with a new understanding and appreciation for this exciting topic.

2022–23 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
Record20–13 (11–9 ACC)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaDean E. Smith Center
Seasons
2022–23 ACC men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 3 Miami (FL) 15 – 5   .750 29 – 8   .784
No. 23 Virginia 15 – 5   .750 25 – 8   .758
Clemson 14 – 6   .700 23 – 11   .676
No. 18 Duke † 14 – 6   .700 27 – 9   .750
Pittsburgh 14 – 6   .700 24 – 12   .667
NC State 12 – 8   .600 23 – 11   .676
North Carolina 11 – 9   .550 20 – 13   .606
Wake Forest 10 – 10   .500 19 – 14   .576
Syracuse 10 – 10   .500 17 – 15   .531
Boston College 9 – 11   .450 16 – 17   .485
Virginia Tech 8 – 12   .400 19 – 15   .559
Florida State 7 – 13   .350 9 – 23   .281
Georgia Tech 6 – 14   .300 15 – 18   .455
Notre Dame 3 – 17   .150 11 – 21   .344
Louisville 2 – 18   .100 4 – 28   .125
† 2023 ACC tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll

The 2022–23 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill during the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by Hubert Davis, who was in his second year as UNC's head coach. The Tar Heels played their home games at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Tar Heels, coming off a National Runner-up in the 2022 NCAA tournament, were ranked #1 in the Preseason AP poll, and failed to live up to the lofty expectations the ranking entailed. The team struggled offensively all season, finishing the season with the second-worst 3-point-percentage in program history. The 2022-23 Tar Heels went 1-9 in NET quad 1 games (their only Q1 victory being a home win against #6 Virginia). They finished the season 20–13 overall and 11–9 in ACC play, earning the 7 seed in the ACC Tournament.

On Selection Sunday, the Tar Heels were not picked to be a part of the field for the 2023 NCAA Tournament, and were one of the first four teams left out by the selection committee. By narrowly missing out on a spot in the tournament, the Tar Heels became the first preseason #1-ranked team to miss the tournament since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Following the missed bid, coach Hubert Davis announced via statement that the team would decline an invite to the 2023 NIT, ending their season.

Previous season

In Hubert Davis' first year at the helm, the Tar Heels got off to a rocky start, with blowout losses to Tennessee, Kentucky, Miami, Wake Forest, and Duke (at home). The Tar Heels rounded into form in the latter half of conference play, finishing with a 15–5 record in conference play. The Tar Heels capped the regular season with an upset win over the Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Mike Krzyzewski's final home game. The Tar Heels earned the No. 3 seed and a double-bye in the ACC tournament. They defeated Virginia in the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champions Virginia Tech in the semifinals.

The Tar Heels earned the No. 8 seed in the East Region of the 2022 NCAA tournament. In the tournament, they beat Marquette and upset No. 1 seed in Baylor to earn North Carolina's 35th Sweet Sixteen appearance of all time. The Tar Heels upset No. 4 seed UCLA and beat "Cinderella" team Saint Peter's in the Elite Eight. The Tar Heels earned a record 21st Final Four appearance, where they beat the Blue Devils in the first-ever NCAA Tournament matchup between the rival schools, 81–77, before falling 69–72 against Kansas in the National Championship game.

Starters Brady Manek, Armando Bacot, Caleb Love, R. J. Davis, and Leaky Black earned the nickname "The Iron 5" for their togetherness and strong play as a unit throughout the season, and for the fact they played a large amount of the team's minutes throughout the campaign. Against Duke in Durham, Bacot, Love, Davis, and Manek each scored twenty-plus points in a game, the first time four players went for twenty or more in one game in Carolina basketball history. Head coach Davis became only the second person in history to take the same school to the Final Four as both a player and a coach, joining Kansas' Dick Harp. Davis also became the 10th first-year head coach in history to take his team to the Final Four.

Offseason

After the conclusion of the 2021–22 season, Anthony Harris and Dawson Garcia entered the transfer portal. Garcia announced he would transfer to Minnesota to be closer with family in the wake of the family issues that forced him to miss the latter half of the previous season. Brady Manek also left the team, as the previous season was his final year of collegiate eligibility. Manek had taken advantage of the extra year given out by the NCAA in response to COVID-19 to play for the Tar Heels in 2021–22. Harris committed to transfer to Rhode Island in May, but was unable to enroll at URI due to reported academic issues. Guard Kerwin Walton also announced plans to transfer on May 1, 2022, the last day to enter the portal and maintain eligibility for the following season.

After speculation that he would turn pro and enter the 2022 NBA draft, Armando Bacot confirmed his return in a video for the 2022–23 season on April 13, 2022. A few days later, Leaky Black, R. J. Davis and Caleb Love similarly announced their intentions to return for the 2022–23 season. On June 18, former Northwestern forward Pete Nance announced that he had committed to North Carolina, completing their roster for the 2022–23 season.

Departures

North Carolina Departures
Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Reason for Departure
Dawson Garcia 13 F 6'11" 235 Sophomore Prior Lake, MN Transferred to Minnesota
Anthony Harris 0 G 6'4" 195 RS Sophomore Woodbridge, VA Transferred to Rhode Island
Brady Manek 45 F 6'9" 230 Graduate Harrah, OK Completed college eligibility
Kerwin Walton 24 G 6'5" 210 Sophomore Hopkins, MN Transferred to Texas Tech

Incoming Transfers

North Carolina Incoming Transfers
Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Previous School Years Remaining Date Committed
Pete Nance 32 F 6'11" 225 Graduate Akron, OH Northwestern 1 June 18, 2022

2022 Recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Jalen Washington
C 		Gary, IN West Side 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Jul 9, 2021 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 89
Seth Trimble
PG 		Menomonee Falls, WI Menomonee Falls 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Jun 23, 2021 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 87
Tyler Nickel
PF 		Elkton, VA East Rockingham 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Sep 15, 2021 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 82
Will Shaver†
C 		Birmingham, AL Oak Mountain 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Jun 2, 2021 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 82
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 17  247Sports: 11
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "North Carolina 2021 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  • "2021 North Carolina Tar Heels Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  • "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 6, 2022.

† Shaver, a member of the 2022 recruiting class, enrolled early and redshirted during the second half of the 2021–22 season.

Roster

2022–23 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown
G 0 Seth Trimble 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 192 lb (87 kg) Fr Menomonee Falls Menomonee Falls, WI
G/F 1 Leaky Black 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 205 lb (93 kg) GS Cox Mill Concord, NC
G 2 Caleb Love 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Jr Christian Brothers College St. Louis, MO
G/F 3 Dontrez Styles 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 210 lb (95 kg) So Kinston Kinston, NC
G 4 R. J. Davis 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Jr Archbishop Stepinac White Plains, NY
F/C 5 Armando Bacot 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Sr IMG Academy Richmond, VA
G 11 D'Marco Dunn 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 190 lb (86 kg) So Westover Tucson, AZ
F 13 Jalen Washington 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Fr West Side Gary, IN
G/F 14 Puff Johnson 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Jr Hillcrest Prep Moon Township, PA
G 15 Rob Landry (W) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Jr NCSSM Greensboro, NC
F 21 Will Shaver 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 260 lb (118 kg) RS Fr Oak Mountain Birmingham, AL
F 22 Justin McKoy 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Sr Panther Creek
Virginia 		Raleigh, NC
G/F 24 Tyler Nickel 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Fr East Rockingham Harrisonburg, VA
G 25 Creighton Lebo (W) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Jr Greenfield Greenville, NC
G 30 Jackson Watkins (W) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Sr Collegiate School Richmond, VA
F 32 Pete Nance 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 230 lb (104 kg) GS Revere
Northwestern 		Akron, OH
F 34 Duwe Farris (W) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Sr Myers Park Charlotte, NC
F 40 Beau Maye (W) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Jr Hough Huntersville, NC
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Schedule and results

Date
time, TV 		Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
October 28, 2022*
7:30 p.m., ACCNX/ESPN+ 		No. 1 Johnson C. Smith W 101–40  –
  20 – Love   20 – Bacot   8 – Love  Dean Smith Center 
Chapel Hill, NC
Regular Season
November 7, 2022*
9:00 p.m., ACCN 		No. 1 UNC Wilmington W 69–56  1–0
  17 – Tied   9 – Bacot   2 – Nance  Dean Smith Center (19,744)
Chapel Hill, NC
November 11, 2022*
7:00 p.m., ACCRSN 		No. 1 College of Charleston W 102–86  2–0
  28 – Bacot   9 – Love   6 – Love  Dean Smith Center (17,892)
Chapel Hill, NC
November 15, 2022*
8:00 p.m., ACCN 		No. 1 Gardner–Webb W 72–66  3–0
  20 – Love   10 – Davis   4 – Love  Dean Smith Center (17,200)
Chapel Hill, NC
November 20, 2022*
12:00 p.m., ACCN 		No. 1 James Madison W 80–64  4–0
  21 – Davis   23 – Bacot   5 – Davis  Dean Smith Center (19,942)
Chapel Hill, NC
November 24, 2022*
1:00 p.m., ESPN 		No. 1 vs. Portland
Phil Knight Invitational Quarterfinals 		W 89–81  5–0
  28 – Nance   13 – Bacot   5 – Davis  Moda Center (6,229)
Portland, OR
November 25, 2022*
5:30 p.m., ESPN 		No. 1 vs. Iowa State
Phil Knight Invitational Semifinals 		L 65–70  5–1
  15 – Davis   9 – Bacot   3 – Tied  Veterans Memorial Coliseum (4,431)
Portland, OR
November 27, 2022*
3:30 p.m., ESPN 		No. 1 vs. No. 18 Alabama
Phil Knight Invitational Consolation 		L 101–103 4OT 5–2
  34 – Love   10 – Bacot   4 – Tied  Veterans Memorial Coliseum (1,921)
Portland, OR
November 30, 2022*
9:15 p.m., ESPN 		No. 18 at No. 10 Indiana
ACC–Big Ten Challenge 		L 65–77  5–3
  15 – Nance   12 – Nance   2 – Davis  Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222)
Bloomington, IN
December 4, 2022
3:00 p.m., ACCN 		No. 18 at Virginia Tech L 72–80  5–4
(0–1) 		 18 – Tied   10 – Nance   2 – Love  Cassell Coliseum (8,925)
Blacksburg, VA
December 10, 2022
3:15 p.m., ESPN 		Georgia Tech W 75–59  6–4
(1–1) 		 22 – Davis   13 – Bacot   5 – Love  Dean Smith Center (19,410)
Chapel Hill, NC
December 13, 2022*
7:00 p.m., ESPN2 		The Citadel W 100–67  7–4
  17 – Love   11 – Bacot   6 – Love  Dean Smith Center (16,926)
Chapel Hill, NC
December 17, 2022*
3:00 p.m., CBS 		vs. No. 23 Ohio State
CBS Sports Classic 		W 89–84 OT 8–4
  28 – Bacot   15 – Bacot   7 – Love  Madison Square Garden (20,261)
New York, NY
December 21, 2022*
7:00 p.m., ESPN 		vs. Michigan
Jumpman Invitational 		W 80–76  9–4
  26 – Bacot   5 – Davis   10 – Black  Spectrum Center (19,236)
Charlotte, NC
December 30, 2022
12:00 p.m., ACCN 		No. 25 at Pittsburgh L 74–76  9–5
(1–2) 		 22 – Bacot   13 – Bacot   3 – Bacot  Petersen Events Center (10,215)
Pittsburgh, PA
January 4, 2023
9:00 p.m., ACCN 		Wake Forest
Rivalry 		W 88–79  10–5
(2–2) 		 27 – Davis   9 – Bacot   5 – Bacot  Dean Smith Center (19,031)
Chapel Hill, NC
January 7, 2023
11:30 a.m., ESPN2 		Notre Dame W 81–64  11–5
(3–2) 		 21 – Bacot   13 – Bacot   4 – Tied  Dean Smith Center (21,750)
Chapel Hill, NC
January 10, 2023
9:00 p.m., ESPN 		at No. 13 Virginia L 58–65  11–6
(3–3) 		 16 – Davis   6 – Tied   5 – Love  John Paul Jones Arena (14,629)
Charlottesville, VA
January 14, 2023
2:00 p.m., ESPN 		at Louisville W 80–59  12–6
(4–3) 		 14 – Tied   16 – Bacot   5 – Davis  KFC Yum! Center (14,842)
Louisville, KY
January 17, 2023
7:00 p.m, ACCRSN 		Boston College W 72–64  13–6
(5–3) 		 20 – Bacot   16 – Bacot   3 – Tied  Dean Smith Center (19,121)
Chapel Hill, NC
January 21, 2023
5:00 p.m., ACCN 		NC State
Rivalry 		W 80–69  14–6
(6–3) 		 26 – Davis   18 – Bacot   1 – Tied  Dean Smith Center (21,750)
Chapel Hill, NC
January 24, 2023
9:00 p.m., ESPN 		at Syracuse W 72–68  15–6
(7–3) 		 21 – Nance   8 – Bacot   5 – Tied  JMA Wireless Dome (20,761)
Syracuse, NY
February 1, 2023
7:00 p.m., ACCN 		Pittsburgh L 64–65  15–7
(7–4) 		 22 – Love   11 – Bacot   3 – Davis  Dean Smith Center (20,421)
Chapel Hill, NC
February 4, 2023
6:30 p.m., ESPN 		at Duke
Rivalry 		L 57–63  15–8
(7–5) 		 14 – Bacot   10 – Tied   5 – Davis  Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314)
Durham, NC
February 7, 2023
7:00 p.m., ESPN 		at Wake Forest
Rivalry 		L 85–92  15–9
(7–6) 		 24 – Love   11 – Bacot   5 – Davis  LJVM Coliseum (11,318)
Winston-Salem, NC
February 11, 2023
2:00 p.m., ESPN2 		Clemson W 91–71  16–9
(8–6) 		 23 – Love   11 – Bacot   5 – Love  Dean Smith Center (21,750)
Chapel Hill, NC
February 13, 2023
7:00 p.m., ESPN 		No. 15 Miami (FL) L 72–80  16–10
(8–7) 		 23 – Davis   9 – Black   2 – Tied  Dean Smith Center (19,907)
Chapel Hill, NC
February 19, 2023
1:00 p.m., ESPN 		at No. 23 NC State
Rivalry 		L 69–77  16–11
(8–8) 		 23 – Love   14 – Bacot   2 – Tied  PNC Arena (19,500)
Raleigh, NC
February 22, 2023
9:00 p.m., ESPN 		at Notre Dame W 63–59  17–11
(9–8) 		 16 – Tied   11 – Tied   5 – Nance  Joyce Center (8,183)
South Bend, IN
February 25, 2023
6:00 p.m., ESPN 		No. 6 Virginia W 71–63  18–11
(10–8) 		 22 – Nance   10 – Davis   4 – Davis  Dean Smith Center (21,750)
Chapel Hill, NC
February 27, 2023
7:00 p.m., ESPN 		at Florida State W 77–66  19–11
(11–8) 		 19 – Davis   10 – Nance   4 – Tied  Donald L. Tucker Center (7,791)
Tallahassee, FL
March 4, 2023
6:30 p.m., ESPN 		Duke
Rivalry 		L 57–62  19–12
(11–9) 		 17 – Tied   11 – Bacot   3 – Tied  Dean Smith Center (21,750)
Chapel Hill, NC
ACC Tournament
March 8, 2023
7:00 p.m., ESPN2 		(7) vs. (10) Boston College
Second round 		W 85–61  20–12
  22 – Love   6 – Tied   4 – Black  Greensboro Coliseum (17,685)
Greensboro, NC
March 9, 2023
7:00 p.m., ESPN 		(7) vs. (2) No. 13 Virginia
Quarterfinals 		L 59–68  20–13
  24 – Davis   9 – Black   6 – Love  Greensboro Coliseum (17,772)
Greensboro, NC
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern Time.

Rankings

See also: 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes ( ) = First-place votes
Week
PollPre123456789101112131415161718Final
AP1 (47)1 (44)1 (47)18RV—RV25—RVRVRVRV——————Not released
Coaches1 (23)1 (22)1 (23)15RVRVRVRV—RVRVRVRV———————

*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings

References

  1. ^ Nelson, Hunter (February 25, 2023). "UNC men's basketball earns first Quad One win of season in 71-63 victory over No. 6 Virginia". Daily Tar Heel. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Cobb, David (March 12, 2023). "North Carolina declines NIT invite after becoming first preseason No. 1 team to miss NCAA Tournament". cbssports.com. CBS Sports. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  3. ^ "North Carolina vs. Duke - Game Summary - March 5, 2022". ESPN. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  4. ^ Linton, Chance (March 12, 2022). "ACC Tournament 2022: Bracket, schedule, scores, how to watch". 247Sports.com. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  5. ^ "2022 N.C.A.A. Men's Tournament Bracket and Results". The New York Times. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  6. ^ Ferenchick, Matt (March 30, 2022). "UNC Basketball: Hubert Davis joins an exclusive group of coaches". Tar Heel Blog. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  7. ^ Fuller, Marcus (April 19, 2022). "Dawson Garcia commits to Gophers, wants to be part of 'getting Minnesota basketball back'". Star Tribune. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  8. ^ Koch, Bill (September 12, 2022). "Academic woes will delay UNC transfer Anthony Harris' enrollment at URI". The Providence Journal. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  9. ^ Barnes, Greg (May 1, 2022). "BREAKING: UNC's Kerwin Walton Enters Transfer Portal". Inside Carolina. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  10. ^ "Carolina Basketball on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  11. ^ Rechon "Leaky" Black (April 15, 2022). "@UNC_Basketball" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  12. ^ "UNC's R.J. Davis announces return for junior season". si.com. April 23, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  13. ^ "Caleb Love becomes fourth UNC starter to announce return for 2022–23 season". si.com. April 24, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  14. ^ McMillan, Sherrell (June 18, 2022). "BREAKING: Northwestern Transfer Pete Nance Commits to UNC". Inside Carolina. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  15. ^ "2022–23 Men's Basketball Schedule". goheels.com. UNC Athletics.
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