3 Takeaways From UNC’s Win Over Notre Dame

North Carolina picked up a dominant 91-69 win over Notre Dame last night. After struggling over the past few games, UNC was desperate for a win like this.

Here are three takeaways from UNC versus ND.

Use Caleb Wilson like this every game

Caleb Wilson has had a great freshman season, but it has not been perfect. Over the past few ACC games, Wilson has been notorious for being phased out of the offense in the second half for some odd reason. Wilson has been misused, and he is still averaging almost 20 points.

Last night against the Fighting Irish, he had one of, if not his best, games in Chapel Hill. The one knock on Wilson has been how he has handled double teams. Well, he put that to rest, as he got trapped all game and did not let it affect him. Wilson had five assists and made multiple passes that led to assists.

Wilson looked terrific in the fast break, going coast to coast off rebounds. He and Henri Veesaar had a great two-man game going on. Overall, it was just a dominant performance from Wilson. He needs to be in constant action like this every game from now on.

Guard rotation worked well

Jaydon Young got his first start at UNC against the Fighting Irish. Head coach Hubert Davis has been desperate to find a consistent and productive guard rotation. Good news for Davis is that he may have found it last night.

Young and Derek Dixon bring a new life to the lineup. Dixon has been shooting it well from beyond the arc, and Young has been a good change-of-pace guard who prides himself on the defensive end.

Kyan Evans, who has started every game up until the California game, found his stride off the bench. He logged only 10 minutes, but he had his best game in all of 2026. He finished with nine points, including three 3-pointers.

Jonathan Powell got more than 20 minutes for the first time since the Florida State game back in December. His minutes have been up and down all season, but he might be a 20-minute guy from here on out.

Luka Bogavac is still getting around 20 minutes a night, but do not be surprised if his minutes decrease with how his play has been and the potential new guard rotation. With a rotation of Seth Trimble, Young, Dixon, Evans and Powell, UNC might have something here.

Defense improved but still not great

Defense has been a key problem all year for the Tar Heels, and it looked like they were going to have a repeat performance after the Fighting Irish shot 6 of 12 from 3-point range in the first half.

The Tar Heels held them to just 2 of 13 in the second half, which was a massive improvement. Yes, UNC’s defense was better than in past games, but it was still not great.

The Tar Heels still had a lack of communication, switch-ups on screens and some mix-ups off the dribble. They still have problems, but they showed improvement, which is all you can ask for right now.

To receive more coverage on North Carolina, click HERE! Please make sure you follow us today on our Facebook page when you click right HERE!

Never again miss one major story related to your beloved Tar Heels when you sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes straight to your email with the latest news. SIGN UP HERE NOW