UNC played like it was just happy to be here

Call it a gentleman's sweep for the Tar Heels, who were no match for Ole Miss.

MILWAUKEE — You’ve heard of the gentleman’s sweep, right? When a team in a best-of-seven series falls behind 3-0, then salvages some dignity by winning Game 4, delaying the inevitable by one game?

That was North Carolina this season.

The Tar Heels embarrassed San Diego State on Tuesday in the First Four, fooling a few outsiders into thinking that they actually belonged in this year’s NCAA tournament as an at-large team.

Then the real tournament started Friday, and UNC was put back in its place before the first media timeout.

Don’t let the final score mislead you. Sixth-seeded Ole Miss’ 71-64 win over 11th-seeded UNC was not that close.

UNC fell behind 11-2, forcing coach Hubert Davis to call a timeout at the 16:45 mark of the first half. The Heels got out-rebounded 21-12 in the first 20 minutes. They saw the Rebels hit 14 of their first 20 shots.

That the Rebels missed their final seven shots of the first half was hardly consequential; they entered halftime up 44-26 anyway, and they grew that lead to 22 points early in the second half.

How?

“We were really lifeless in the first half,” junior Seth Trimble said. “We had no passion. We had no joy. We looked like the group we were a few months ago.

“We were fortunate enough to listen just to what the coaches had to say in the second half. We checked ourselves. We got checked. And everybody kind of just looked in the mirror, and, I mean, that second half it was clear we just played with passion, with joy, and we played for each other. We were a team in that second half. That was the biggest difference. We weren't in that first half.”

So much of the talk surrounding UNC — including in this corner — centered on the program making the cut as the final at-large team when its athletic director just happened to be the chair of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball committee.

The abysmal 1-12 record against Quad 1 opponents was apparently forgivable.

Then UNC routed the Aztecs, 95-68, in Dayton, an apparent mirage.

Don’t let the Heels get hot?

Nah. That was just a short-term answer to the critics, who will rightfully point out that this was a flawed team in a very flawed ACC that now enters the second round of the tournament with just one — count it: one! — team still playing, in Duke.

Davis indirectly said as much when describing his message to his players at halftime Friday.

“The whole game, that wasn't us the last two months,” Davis said. “That was us the first four months, and I told them that at halftime. I said, I haven't seen this team since Clemson. Against good teams like Ole Miss, it's just not sustainable. I've said this to you guys before.

“Coming back from 18, coming back from 22, that's just — so it's a credit to our guys to get to a two-point game. Just hard, too hard to flip it against good teams.”

Davis just completed his fourth season leading his alma mater. He had no interest postgame in discussing what will be a critical offseason, even with the portal opening Monday. He’s made the tournament in three of his four years. He’s made the second weekend twice, and the national title game once.

You’d never know it from simply following the narrative surrounding Davis’ tenure, but that’s UNC hoops for you.

Davis’ 2023 team that missed the Big Dance became the first preseason No. 1 team to do so. This year’s UNC team was a preseason top-10 outfit. Don’t fall for that First Four performance, though. This, too, was not a tournament team.

Ole Miss showed us who the Tar Heels really are.

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