UNC Needs To Rewrite 2 Concerning Narratives Against Orange

The North Carolina Tar Heels face the Syracuse Orange on Saturday at the JMA Wireless Dome. It has been a rough 10 days for the Tar Heels, who have lost two of their last three games, including a 24-point loss to the North Carolina State Wolfpack on Tuesday night.

There are a couple of concerns from the Tar Heels' perspective that will play a role in the outcome of Saturday's ACC matchup.

North Carolina's Struggles on the Road

Feb 17, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack guard Paul McNeil Jr. (2) and North Carolina Tar Heels guard Derek Dixon (3) dive for the ball during the first half at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

The Tar Heels are the definition of a fair-weather team, as they are 15-0 at the Dean E. Smith Center, but on the road, they are 3-5 on the road. Those losses include Miami, California, Stanford, SMU, and Michigan State, which was at a neutral site.

This should be a favorable contest on Saturday, but North Carolina is susceptible on the road, which has been apparent in several instances this season. Three of those road losses came against inferior opponents, which is concerning when considering how much financial resources North Carolina has poured into this roster.

North Carolina's Struggles Without Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar

Jan 17, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) and forward Caleb Wilson (8) slap hands during the second half against the California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Tar Heels have had a makeshift starting lineup with Wilson (hand fracture) and Veesaar (lower leg) out the last two games. During that span, the team has been lackluster from the field, including shooting 5-of-33 from beyond the arc in Tuesday night's loss against the Wolfpack.

While speaking with the media on Friday, head coach Hubert Davis discussed how those two players' absences have affected the Tar Heels' performances.

Feb 14, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis reacts in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

"I think it's a number of different factors," Davis said. "I think, in a lot of ways, you have to be who you are. What has allowed us to be successful is certain things that we do from an offensive standpoint, our pace, our persistence and stubbornness to dominate points in the paint through post penetration, offensive rebounding, limiting in the paint, max pressure on the rim, living at the free throw line."

"Foundation pieces like that. Taking care of the basketball. How to get there? There has to be some tweaks, changes, pivots, and alters because you don't have Henri and Caleb in the lineup," Davis continued. "And so, I think it's a combination of both. I think it's figuring out this new way, but also holding firm and staying connected to the things that allow you to be successful regardless of who's in the lineup."

North Carolina will for certain be without Wilson and Veesaar is listed as questionable for Saturday. If both players miss, the Tar Heels could be on upset watch.

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