Heel Tough Blog: VCU Recap (NCAA Tournament - First Round)

@UNCMBBStats

Last night, in Greenville, South Carolina, the Tar Heels' 2025-26 season came to a close, after blowing a 19-point lead to VCU, before ultimately falling in overtime, 82-78. Carolina took a 56-37 lead in the middle part of the second half, before a ferocious comeback by the Rams, forcing overtime, tied at 75. In the OT session, Carolina failed to make a basket, and with over 4 seconds left, down two, Henri Veesaar was unable to tie the game at the foul line, missing the first one, forcing him to miss the second purpose. Over the final 7:45 of game action, Carolina failed to make a field goal, went 4-9 from the foul line, and committed 4 turnovers, allowing VCU to complete the largest comeback in the history of the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Meaning that under Hubert Davis, Carolina has now blown the largest halftime lead in national title game history, and the largest lead in the first round of the Big Dance. They’ve done so in just four NCAA Tournament appearances under Hubert Davis. 

Just like they did against Clemson in the ACC Tournament, Carolina wasted a brilliant performance from Henri Veesaar, who scored 26 points, on 9-18 shooting, and grabbed 10 rebounds, in his 42 minutes of game action. He was one of four UNC starters to score in double figures, as Seth Triimble (15), Derek Dixon (11), and Jarin Stevenson (11) all reached double figures, on a night where Carolina’s offense shot just 41% from the field and 28% from behind the arc. 

Carolina’s defense failed them in the second half, especially after building that 19-point lead, as during their comeback, VCU would hit 13 of 16 shots, and 15 of 19 shots respectively, on their way to scoring 47 points in the second half, after being held to just 28 in the opening 20 minutes. VCU managed to shoot 45% from the field and 42% from behind the arc, on 11 makes, going 8-14 after the first half. 

For the first time in 56 years, Carolina has ended the season with three straight losses, suffering a loss in the regular season finale, the ACC Tournament, and the NCAA Tournament. After starting the season 12-1, Carolina finishes the season at 24-9, and has exited the first round of the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back years for the first time in program history. Here’s the fallout from last night’s loss: 

1. Free Throws: When you’re a bad free-throw shooting team, it usually costs you games you can’t afford to lose, and that’s exactly what happened last night, as Carolina went just 12-20 from the foul line, missing costly free throws in regulation and the overtime period. What’s even more frustrating is that Carolina’s two best players were a combined 9-16 from the line, as Seth Trimble went 4-7, and Henri Veesaar was just 5-9. 

2. Second Half Rotation: For the first time all season long, Hubert Davis opted to play just six players in the second half, as he played Dixon, Trimble, Stevenson, and Veesaar the entire second half, and the overtime period, while subbing in Jonathan Powell for Luka Bogavac. While Davis wasn’t willing to admit that his team got worn down, it was apparent that they weren’t as fresh as the Rams, who kept attacking until the comeback was complete. 

3. Terrence Hill Jr: The best player on the floor last night was Terrence Hill Jr, who scored a game-high 34 points, on 13-23 shooting. He was uber efficient from behind the arc, going 7-10, to fuel the best individual performance from a winning team in Thursday’s action of the NCAA Tournament. For whatever reason, Carolina kept switching ball screens involving Hill Jr, forcing Jarin Stevenson to try and guard him, and the slower Stevenson could not stay in front of him, leading to multiple defensive breakdowns in the closing stretch of regulation and overtime.

4. Blown Leads: In 2022, the Tar Heels blew a 15-point lead over Kansas in the national title game, making it the largest blown lead in championship game history. Last night, Carolina squandered a 19-point lead, making it the largest blown lead in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. That doesn’t even count the 25-point lead UNC blew against Baylor in the second round back in 22, but they were able to win in overtime. That means that UNC owns two of the largest blown leads in the history of the NCAA Tournament, in just four tournaments under their current head coach. 

5. Davis on the Hot Seat: Last night’s loss officially puts Hubert Davis’s job security in question, and according to Inside Carolina, there are ongoing conversations about a potential change in Chapel Hill. 

Up Next: Carolina will await for the transfer portal to officially open, to learn who is staying, who is going, and how they will go about rebuilding the roster for 2026-27. 

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