UNC Has 2 Glaring Areas Needing Immediate Improvement

The North Carolina Tar Heels suffered their second consecutive loss on Saturday against the California Golden Bears, and it was a continuation for the Tar Heels' recent struggles.

Falling to California marked the third loss in four games for the Tar Heels, which was a major reason for the team's plummet in the most recent AP Poll Rankings.

With all that being said, here are a couple of areas that North Carolina needs to improve in as soon as possible.

Rebounding

Jan 17, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) blocks out California Golden Bears guard Nolan Dorsey (21) during the second half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Rebounding has been repeatedly emphasized throughout the season by head coach Hubert Davis. The 55-year-old head coach discussed this aspect in his postgame press conference.

"We had a 30% offensive rebounding percentage. That’s nowhere close to the goal that we have every game for the entire year," Davis said. "Our lack of ability to dominate the boards was also a huge factor in outcome of the game. Was it not there to be more physical? You know? I mean, I think there’s a physicality about rebounding, but ultimately, it’s about a will and a want to whether is defensive rebounding or trying to get a second chance opportunity on the offensive end last three.”

It was a tight rebounding battle between North Carolina and California, as the Tar Heels collected 29 total rebounds, including six offensive rebounds. Meanwhile, the Golden Bears also totaled 29 rebounds, including four offensive rebounds. Entering the game, California was one of the worst rebounding teams in the country, so the fact that it was a competitive element of the game was pathetic from the Tar Heels' perspective.

Perimeter Defense

Jan 14, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Ebuka Okorie (1) drives to the basket against North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) and forward Jarin Stevenson (15) in the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Through the first five games of conference play, North Carolina has allowed their opponents to make 70 three-point attempts. In the last three games, SMU shot 51.9 percent from three-point range, Wake Forest shot 40 percent from beyond the arc, and California connected on 51.9 percent from downtown.

Davis spoke on this trend, and how the Tar Heels responded in the second half, which is when they trimmed the deficit to three points after trailing by 20 at one point.

Jan 17, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis (right) talks with guard Seth Trimble (7) during the first half against the California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

“Well, I thought we did a better job of it today, so I like to look at the improvement, especially in the second half," Davis said. "Very interesting - they had two guys that have never made a three and hit two threes on us. You look at the threes, but I look at the source: where it’s coming from, the initial position, the urgency and closeouts, the rotations, that’s what you have to look at."

"It’s not the end result — oh they shot a three - it’s why recently have teams been shooting it at a high percentage? I think that’s the most important thing to look at," Davis continued. "And as I mentioned before, awareness, scouting reports, close outs, rotations, those types of things that have to consistently get better.”

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