North Carolina’s best start under Hubert Davis didn’t come from a single breakout night, a lucky stretch of shooting, or even a fully healthy roster. It came from something quieter — something that only shows up when a team is tested before it’s ready. Through injuries, neutral-site losses, and a nonconference schedule designed to expose weaknesses, the Tar Heels have built a 12–1 start that feels more earned than accidental. The record tells part of the story. The reason behind it is more revealing — and it’s why UNC enters ACC play believing its best basketball still hasn’t been played.
Following a 48-point rout of ECU in the final nonconference game on the 2025-26 schedule, the 12th-ranked Tar Heels (12-1) have produced their hottest stretch out of the gate since the 2008-09 national championship squad.
“I’m happy, but not satisfied. But happy with the way we did the nonconference season,” Davis said as UNC shifts to the ACC portion of its schedule. “I feel like we’ve been through every scenario. We’ve gone through a lot in two months, and we’ve been able to persevere and be able to find ways to be successful.
As of Monday, Dec. 29, the Tar Heels are 15th in the NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) rankings. They have a 3-1 record in Quadrant 1 games and a 9-0 mark in Quadrants 2-4 through 13 games.
Looking at this same date across the previous four seasons under Davis, UNC combined for five Q1 wins with an average NET ranking of 32 ½ in the initial post-Christmas rankings. The Heels were 34th in the NET with a 2-5 record in Q1 games at this point last season and one of those Q1 victories shifted to Q2 territory by March Madness.
UNC sparked its strong start with a 13-point win against Kansas in Chapel Hill, adding a win at Kentucky and a neutral-site victory against Ohio State to boost its nonconference résumé. The Heels’ lone setback came in a 16-point loss to Michigan State on Thanksgiving Day in Florida
UNC played nine of its 13 nonconference games without senior captain Seth Trimble, who was sidelined with a left arm injury as the Tar Heels put together an 8-1 stretch, including the win at Rupp Arena against the Wildcats.
“I really like that we’re learning and getting better every game. Honestly, that’s all I can really say. I feel like we’re learning and getting better every game,” said freshman forward Caleb Wilson, UNC’s leading scorer and rebounder at 19.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.
“We learned so many lessons (before) ACC play. Like, we played without Seth (Trimble) for a month. With him coming back, I just feel like we’re just gonna keep getting better.”
And, in an improved 18-team ACC, the Tar Heels will have more opportunities to pick up notable wins along the way to strengthen their seeding ahead of Selection Sunday. As of Dec. 29, eight of UNC’s 20 league games are projected to be Q1 matchups.
There are nine ACC teams inside the top 50 of the latest NET rankings. There were five teams inside the top 50 of last season’s post-Christmas NET rankings on Dec. 27.
“I feel like the ACC’s the best conference and it’s a really good conference this year, just having an opportunity to get a bunch of Quad 1 wins and position ourselves well for March Madness,” Wilson said. “Just approaching every game with the same serious approach and know that everybody’s coming for us with all they got.”
The Tar Heels start ACC play against Florida State (7-6) on Tuesday, Dec. 30 (7 p.m., ESPN2) at the Smith Center. Even with an impressive start to the season, Davis feels UNC still has plenty of room to grow in the months ahead before the NCAA Tournament.
“Another encouraging thing is I don’t feel like we’re anywhere close to where we can be. I think we can be a lot better defensively, rebounding the basketball,” Davis said.
“I think we can be more efficient on the offensive end. We can shoot the ball better, even though we shot the ball well from three (against ECU). And so that’s the encouraging thing, that I think there’s a lot more room to grow. I’m looking forward to the break, but really excited about what this team can look like in the future.”
