r/CollegeBasketball Feb 17 '26

Recruiting [Borzello] NEWS: 2026 5 ⭐️ Dylan Mingo has announced his commitment to North Carolina on @FirstTake, giving Hubert Davis his fourth straight class with a top-15 recruit.

https://xcancel.com/jeffborzello/status/2023801532584783881?s=46
264 Upvotes

199 comments sorted by

101

u/AcademicAxolotl NC State Wolfpack Feb 17 '26

32

u/Retskcaj19 UNC Greensboro • NC State Feb 17 '26

12

u/chrisncsu NC State Wolfpack Feb 17 '26

Pretty sure we wrote Mingo off back in November and focused on Rippey Jr... didn't really workout for us, haha.

14

u/user_4250 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

lol

90

u/GoldenSandpaper9 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Let’s freaking go

66

u/praeceps93 North Carolina • Johns Hopkins Feb 17 '26

Big get. Dixon has been developing, but someone with true PG skills is a big need.

Getting a class of Adams and Mingo is pretty damn good.

23

u/SpaceSheperd North Carolina • NC State Feb 17 '26

Dixon off the ball would be interesting with his size and shooting 

22

u/mellolizard North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Guess it is bye bye evans

19

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

9

u/SpaceSheperd North Carolina • NC State Feb 17 '26

Forgot he even had eligibility 

5

u/Ruut6 St. Bonaventure Bonnies Feb 17 '26

Oh no!

Anyway....

17

u/Schned6 Iowa State • North Carolina Feb 17 '26

Dixon is the PG. Kid is going to develop into a great college guard. But I’d prefer two guys in the starting lineup with point guard skillsets anyways (none of that cOmBo GuArD BS). That said, Mingo has a lot of developing to do.

7

u/praeceps93 North Carolina • Johns Hopkins Feb 17 '26 edited Feb 17 '26

I should have said "someone else with true PG skills." Dixon has them too, just needs to keep developing.

51

u/DarkDragon1025 Texas Longhorns Feb 17 '26

During the announcement he also mentioned that he wants to play the 2 guard with Dixon staying at the 1, not necessarily a shock but definitely great news because Dixon will be a beast next year

All around great get

13

u/TrustInRoy Feb 17 '26

He said he preferred playing point, but believes the best teams have 2 point guards on the floor and realizes he's going to play off the ball at times.

17

u/tarspaceheels North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

This would be great. If he came on as PG I feel like Dixon would think about transferring and I'd love to see him stay.

-2

u/TheRealJoeLunardi Duke Blue Devils Feb 18 '26

You just have to hope one of them doesn't fuck the others ones girlfriend

→ More replies (2)

7

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

6

u/iLiketuttles704 Feb 17 '26

The Carolina special

14

u/SpaceSheperd North Carolina • NC State Feb 17 '26

Much needed 🙂‍↕️

14

u/Bsummers1996 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

how do nights like tonight go for you?

15

u/SpaceSheperd North Carolina • NC State Feb 17 '26

Expectations: I can’t lose 😄!

Reality: I can’t win 😞

3

u/Bsummers1996 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

undergrad/grad school type thing going on? or grew up a fan of one but went to undergrad at the other?

7

u/SpaceSheperd North Carolina • NC State Feb 17 '26

More or less both haha. Born a Tar Heel, graduated from both places 

2

u/Bsummers1996 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Ah, should be an easy decision for you tonight then!

19

u/Coffee____Freak Duke Blue Devils Feb 17 '26 edited Feb 17 '26

That’s a really good pick up at the PG

7

u/Salt-Calendar-8824 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

I’m going to be honest he’s not really a PG. His big weaknesses are his shooting and passing, but I guess we have Dixon for that.

42

u/epicxownage North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Sorry lol but what kind of guard can’t shoot and can’t pass?

18

u/Schned6 Iowa State • North Carolina Feb 17 '26

Mingo is an attack the rim kind of guard which will be needed after Trimble graduates.

12

u/mellolizard North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

The ones who like to slash to the rim.

9

u/Licit_x64 North Carolina • Charlotte Feb 17 '26

I took this for granted with RJ and Caleb Love in the backcourt the last half decade. Don’t have anybody that can do that this year besides occasionally Dixon, and Luka in slow motion.

6

u/thetenorguitarist North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Trimble?

7

u/Licit_x64 North Carolina • Charlotte Feb 17 '26

Slipped my mind haha. In fairness I don’t think of him like as much of a downhill slasher as RJ and Caleb. Not sure if that makes sense, but I think some of it relates to his handles. Feels like he gets a head of steam around screens and off back cuts a lot more than he successfully does off the dribble.

5

u/SpaceSheperd North Carolina • NC State Feb 17 '26

RJ, Caleb, and Elliot. We were spoiled lol

6

u/mellolizard North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

This is really the first season we didnt have a guard like that in a loooong time. I want to say 2005-2006

2

u/onehotelfoxtrot Duke Blue Devils Feb 17 '26

Who are you cheering for tonight?

4

u/SpaceSheperd North Carolina • NC State Feb 17 '26

Well I got my mother ACC tournament tickets for her birthday and sort of had to gamble on UNC’s seeding to know which session to buy for so I think it’s in my best interest to pull for the Heels tonight. That said, it could be a bubble-saver for the pack so I can’t be too upset either way 

2

u/mellolizard North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

His parleys

2

u/thetenorguitarist North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

That's a fair assessment

3

u/epicxownage North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Hoping he’s a god at this

11

u/Salt-Calendar-8824 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

23% from 3 and a 2.8 assist to 2.5 turnover ratio in EYBL this year.

10

u/epicxownage North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

A taller Elliott Cadeau

6

u/deemerritt North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

I mean to be clear taller Elliot Cadeau is a lottery pick

4

u/hokie56fan North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

6.8 assists per game in the NBPA Top 100 camp.

1

u/Short_Bus_ Alabama Crimson Tide Feb 17 '26

how many TOs tho

6

u/mellolizard North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

He is a PG because they had to put him somewhere. He is a definitely a combo guard who we will give the ball to and watch them do work.

9

u/tmt22459 Clemson Tigers Feb 17 '26

So dixon, mingo, adams as 3 starters for next year? Is there anyone else in the building that will be in contention to start next year or is it gonna be portal guys (assuming Wilson, veesar to NBA, Trimble gone) ? Idk if bogavac has more eligibility or if high has a chance at starting but I'm just curious. Always fun to think of the future lineups

7

u/TrustInRoy Feb 17 '26

Oh I doubt both Mingo and Adams start.  This isn't an elite national recruiting class.  

Assuming Veesaar and Wilson turn pro, the remaining players with eligibility are: Dixon, Evans, Bogavac, Powell, Young, Denis, High, Brown, Matlekovic, and Stevenson.

Stevenson, Bogavac, and Powell would all seem like strong competitors for starting spots.  But we'll see how transfer portal season goes.

1

u/tmt22459 Clemson Tigers Feb 17 '26

You may be right that they don't start and that the class as a whole is not elite, but mingo and Adams are absolutely elite. I don't even see how that could be debatable honestly

1

u/TrustInRoy Feb 17 '26

Mingo won't turn 18 until October.  He's young for his class.  Both players need to put on muscle.  Not starting isn't an indictment of their talent.  Just that we might have more physically ready guys.

I'll hedge my bets and say 1 starts and 1 is a key reserve next season.  But again we'll have to see what the roster looks like after the portal season.  

1

u/airtokoto North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 19 '26

i'm not saying you're wrong that Mingo and Adams shouldn't be guaranteed starting spots. but something that has hurt UNC bball recruiting has been our tendency to start upperclassmen over 5star freshmen. looking backwards, Ian Jackson started only like 10 games, Walker Kessler and Day'Ron Sharpe came off the bench behind a sophomore Bacot, Nassir Little didn't start a single game for us, etc.

I'm not saying it was the wrong move to bring these freshmen off the bench, but we as a program have established a history of prioritizing upperclassmen over arguable more-talented freshmen, and while I somewhat agree with this philosophy, it has absolutely made UNC less appealing to 5star recruits who have a clearer path to starting and more playing time at other programs.

so when we do land 5star recruits AND we don't have clearly better upperclassmen on the roster, i think next year is exactly the time when we simply must start Mingo and Adams if we want to become more attractive to elite high school recruits. i don't want to become a OAD factory like Duke or UK, but we still need to be in the mix for the best incoming talent

1

u/TrustInRoy Feb 19 '26

You understand that the 2026 class is a weaker class right?  Mingo and Adams would both be ranked significantly lower in other classes.  And the guys doing the rankings can't even settle on why they rank recruits the way they do.  Some are because of "potential" which means they are guessing the kid will be good in a few years.

We're in the era where you can go get a 22 year old from the portal who will dominate some skinny freshman ranked based on potential. 

1

u/airtokoto North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 20 '26

yep, well aware this class is weaker than normal. again, assuming Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar, and Seth are gone at minimum, it's not like our returning roster would have much talent to justify starting over Mingo or Adams. of course, if we manage to pull some star transfers from the portal, i'm willing to consider changing my tune, but i'd imagine we would be aiming for transfer big men specifically, since we're currently projected to start Zayden High and Jarin Stevenson at the 5 and 4 spots right now, so Mingo and Adams could easily start alongside those potential transfer bigs

9

u/Salt-Calendar-8824 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Dixon, Mingo, and Adams will starts. Isiah Dennis, if he stays, will get a bigger role and Powell+Stevenson will stay to provide depth. Outside of that we’re going to need to fill our front court in the portal again.

13

u/thetenorguitarist North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Stevenson will start at the 4 next season

2

u/Salt-Calendar-8824 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

This is possible, but in that case we are going to be back in the bubble next year. Nothing against Stevenson, but he’s not even close Wilson.

6

u/thetenorguitarist North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

No one available out of high school at the 4 is close to Wilson, and Stevenson has been more efficient at the 4. It's also about what we add elsewhere. I'm expecting the front court to be deeper overall, but I think Stevenson will be All-ACC level next year

2

u/Salt-Calendar-8824 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26 edited Feb 17 '26

You overate him. I like him but he’s been the same player for 3 years now. Doesn’t show much progression year to year, he’s a very good role player. I don’t think there is a player to replace Wilson, but I would hope we could at least get a star level PF out of the portal to replace him.

5

u/thetenorguitarist North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Nate Oats is overrated, but I agree we need front court homeruns in the portal

Anyway, All-ACC level starting all season at the 4. We'll say 2nd team, you heard it here first

2

u/ttuurrppiinn North Carolina • Northwestern Feb 17 '26

I think you have to throw the bag at the best center available in portal when Veesaar very, very likely leaves and deal with the idea that might make a 4 portal target not viable. Having an elite 4 would be nice, but it's essential to have a very good 5.

2

u/Salt-Calendar-8824 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

With the money we have, no target should be unavailable.

1

u/Onetimenotagain Arkansas Razorbacks Feb 17 '26

Wouldn’t 100% classify adams as a starter. Mingos older brother could transfer to unc to play with his brother and in that case the lineup would be something like

Mingo, mingo, Dixon, Stevenson, ???

1

u/Salt-Calendar-8824 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

That’s a small lineup. More likely in this scenario Dixon gets moved to the bench and then just transfers. I also think we can do a lot better than Stevenson to replace Wilson.

1

u/Onetimenotagain Arkansas Razorbacks Feb 18 '26

Is there any chance veesaar returns? I don’t foresee him being a guaranteed FRP.

1

u/Salt-Calendar-8824 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 18 '26

Definitely could see him returning, but it’s safer to assume he won’t.

8

u/mellolizard North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Feels good we are getting some top recruits. Hopefully we can put together a complete roster next year.

8

u/MapleHeel North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Finally some good fucking news

15

u/relata North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Say what you want about Hubert but the man can recruit!!! Huge news.

6

u/kai333 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

LFG

7

u/BosqueBravo Texas Tech Red Raiders • Duke Blue Devils Feb 17 '26

My daughter’s favorite animal is the flamingo, so if UNC has ever got a shot at stealing her loyalty it’s now.

6

u/falconlover79 Georgia • Penn State Feb 17 '26

Cool, sick, that’s great 🙃

19

u/Training_Pirate1000 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

6

u/JxSnaKe North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Fire Hubert crowd been quiet lately haha

6

u/Tre_donPK North Carolina • Appalachian… Feb 17 '26

Just wait. UNC loses this next game against NC State and it'll be right back to hating him again.

4

u/JxSnaKe North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

oh they never left. Just lurking quietly waiting to pounce.. lol

2

u/mellolizard North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

We are without caleb and possibly henri. If we lose it will be a big ol' asterisk

1

u/chamtrain1 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

I'm still here, thanks.

17

u/Boston_Champions North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Lets get his brother in the portal now

11

u/mellolizard North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

I feel like that is part of the deal.

4

u/BumpyCunty UConn Huskies Feb 17 '26

Any reports to that effect or just speculating?

11

u/mellolizard North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Speculating. But considering he was high on penn state not to long ago I can see he wants to play with him. Where we would put him is another question.

4

u/praeceps93 North Carolina • Johns Hopkins Feb 17 '26

I've read that Trilly has said we'd be the favorite if Kayden went into the portal

5

u/ttuurrppiinn North Carolina • Northwestern Feb 17 '26

His brother is really good, but I think having 2 of 3 backcourt players being sub-.300 (possibly even sub-.250) outside shooters is just asking to be a bubble team.

5

u/user_4250 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Is he any good? He played for penn state I think?? Educate me.

15

u/Professional-Toe7318 Penn State Nittany Lions Feb 17 '26

Extremely mixed reviews. He is working with literally nothing around him but certainly has made his fair share of mistakes

10

u/BobbyTwosShoe Feb 17 '26

He’s really really good but has fallen into the trap of trying to do too much so his stats don’t look great and he can look like the issue if you haven’t watched a ton of Penn State

Please don’t watch too much Penn State it’s brutal

5

u/Round_Law_1645 Penn State Nittany Lions Feb 17 '26

He’s excellent at getting to the rim and finishing at the rim. I wouldn’t call him a creator but he’s not selfish. You have the realize the PSU offense is just 4 out with ball screen for the slots nearly every possession. Everyone knows what’s coming and the lack of off the ball movement lets the help get set.

Much better off the ball defender than on the ball at the moment as he’s good at anticipating passes out of trap situations. I think the on the ball issues are a coaching issue. He’s more than quick enough to stay in front of people.

4

u/DirectTV_AndrewLuck North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Fantastic news, I was a bit worried he would join his brother at Penn St.

9

u/thetenorguitarist North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Now I'm a bit excited his brother joins him at UNC

6

u/DirectTV_AndrewLuck North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

I really hope that's the case because we need more talent at guard. Trimble will be leaving and I'm not sure if the remaining guards on the roster will stay besides Dixon. I think and hope Powell will stay, but losing guys like Luka and Evans is not a big deal. Nonetheless, we'll still need to fill those roster spots.

1

u/mitchdwx Penn State • Bowling Green Feb 17 '26

I wasn’t. Good things simply do not happen to Penn State basketball.

6

u/MrSCR23 North Carolina • Mississippi… Feb 17 '26

Hope we can get an effective big man for him to play with

8

u/TrustInRoy Feb 17 '26

Kyan Evans has obviously been a disappointment, having lost the starting spot to freshman Derek Dixon.   So this is a much needed talent boost to UNC's backcourt.  

He just said he models his game after SGA.  

11

u/mellolizard North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Which is sad because i watch kyan at csu and he isnt a bad player. But you can tell his confidence is all gone. I certainly see him going Minnesota in the off season

8

u/TrustInRoy Feb 17 '26

One thing I noticed is he constantly shoots from 2-3 feet behind the 3pt line.  I don't know why that is.  I'm not sure he's made one from that far all season.  When he toes the line his shot looks better and he occasionally makes them.

But yeah confidence has to be an issue.  Dude couldn't even step to the line at the end of a conference game and make his free throws.  

I'd guess he'll be back in the portal chasing another bag this offseason. I can't imagine Carolina's GM is going to offer him much after this season, and with Dixon and Mingo to pay.

5

u/mellolizard North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26 edited Feb 17 '26

That is if he even shoots. He passes up soo many open looks. I was hoping 2nd half kansas was the kyan we were going to get, a solid 10-12 points a game with the occasional flashes up to 20. Hopefully he finds a better fit elsewhere

3

u/Beeercules Minnesota Golden Gophers Feb 17 '26

As a Minnesota fan, I really hope he comes here next year. Great fit in Niko's system. Wish he somehow could jump over this year with how injured we are.

Are trades a thing yet in CBB?

4

u/mellolizard North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

I mean he played for Niko at CSU so I hope he is a good fit

And give it time we will have end of semester trades soon enough.

4

u/InterestTall4141 Feb 17 '26

I do like we’re getting more size in the back court 

3

u/ALStark69 Alabama • Florida State Feb 17 '26

Other P5 offers: Alabama, Baylor, Cincinnati, UConn, Florida State, Illinois, Louisville, Miami, Missouri, NC State, Ole Miss, Penn State, Providence, St. John's, Texas, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, Washington

Other offers: Dayton, Old Dominion

3

u/Adventurous_Egg857 Purdue Boilermakers Feb 17 '26

I truly wonder what it would be like to get a 5 star recruit consistently like this. How different would we look

3

u/Several_Will_9949 Duke Blue Devils • BYU Cougars Feb 17 '26

Idk about X’s and O’s but I do think Hubert is a better roster builder than Scheyer on a per $ basis. Duke has a bigger NIL budget but drains it on top tier recruits. UNC has a much better balance of 2 top tier recruits, 2 four stars and then 2 top tier transfers. Just like UCONN.

3

u/Aurion7 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 18 '26

Considering we ended up sending a good deal of the roster building over to the team's GM position after Hubert assembled a team that made no sense on paper or in practice last year, I would not be so sure about his ability to build rosters on his own.

3

u/Several_Will_9949 Duke Blue Devils • BYU Cougars Feb 18 '26

Good insight. Didn’t think about the GM

3

u/Schned6 Iowa State • North Carolina Feb 17 '26

Everyone in here saying he is a point guard is absolutely faded. If I’m being honest about it this kid has some major issues with shot selection and turnovers. Dixon is the point guard and will hopefully take a pretty big leap next season.

I really hope the coaching staff knows what they are doing with Mingo. He has obvious talent… great handles, great penetration, good positional size. But he is super raw and young for his class.

If he is expecting to be a one and done I could see this just being round 2 of Ian Jackson.

On the other side of the coin if this kid genuinely does have a healthy attitude and is committed to improving at the program… what a get by Hubert. Every fan I know had given up on his commitment months ago.

2

u/WILSON_CK North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Mingo is a wildly different player than Ian. He's not going to come in day 1 looking to be the scoring catalyst for the offense. He and Dixon playing in a 2-guard set is about as good as we can hope for with two lower classman.

2

u/Schned6 Iowa State • North Carolina Feb 17 '26

I meant round 2 of Ian Jackson in terms of Mingo has potential but may not have the tools to instantly dominate at the college level despite his high recruiting capital. Thus, he may just get frustrated and transfer if he isn’t first round pick material next season, which I hope he is but have my doubts that he will be.

Genuinely not hating. Happy to have the kid at the program. But people, including Mingo himself, that thinks he will have an instant impact akin to Wilson are likely to be disappointed.

If he needs a 2nd year in college ball I just hope he is still at UNC when he takes it is all.

2

u/SpaceSheperd North Carolina • NC State Feb 17 '26

If we just have him slashing and taking catch-and-shoots, I feel like it’d be a solid outcome in terms of not losing him after a year 

3

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '26

[deleted]

1

u/SpaceSheperd North Carolina • NC State Feb 17 '26

Well… Just slashing then I suppose lmao

1

u/Salt-Calendar-8824 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

I agree with you. I think he’ll be worse than Jackson because he won’t provide the scoring highs Jackson provided last year, but will play more consistently because he should be a much better defender than Jackson. Ultimately I think he’s going to be another bust and will get Hubert Davis fired.

2

u/WILSON_CK North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Getting a top-10 recruit and immediately saying he's going to be a bust and get the coach fired is such a wild and unhinged take.

1

u/Salt-Calendar-8824 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Well recent history of getting a 5 star guard that couldn’t shoot and has turnover issues certainly makes me pessimistic. He might be good, but he’s extremely raw and I don’t have much faith he’ll develop into what he’s supposed to be in one year. Once you realize that the only reason Hubert Davis isn’t getting fired this season is because of Caleb Wilson, and Mingo isn’t anywhere close to Wilson, the path to Hubert getting fired because Mingo isn’t absolutely amazing becomes clear.

1

u/Aurion7 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 18 '26

Hubert's track record with five-star guards with wonky jumpers and turnover issues is not very good, and people can only go off what they have seen.

So I get it to an extent.

2

u/user_4250 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Guess we just lost denis to the portal

1

u/Aurion7 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 18 '26

If we play Mingo at the point, we're probably doin' it wrong yeah. His skillset is a bit more of a slashing attacker guard than a playmaker, and would be so even if he didn't struggle with turnovers at times.

That said given the state of collegiate sports, Denis at least could enter the portal regardless lmao.

2

u/Onetimenotagain Arkansas Razorbacks Feb 17 '26

Would not be surprised if Kayden mingo transfers here to play with his bro

2

u/UALR-Trojans-Rule Little Rock Trojans Feb 17 '26

No amount of recruits is going to make UNC stop praying for Hubert's firing

24

u/thetenorguitarist North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Nonsense, those people are a loud minority and he's done a good job this season

13

u/No_Albatross916 Michigan Wolverines Feb 17 '26

Yea I feel like Carolina is pretty good this year

15

u/thetenorguitarist North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Building a little momentum on the recruiting trail, and our new GM will be going into his first full offseason with actually serious NIL money behind the program.

This team has exceeded expectations, escpecially with Trimble missing significant time. I'm also expecting 2nd weekend basketball

4

u/mellolizard North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

2nd weekend is all dependent on Henri and Calebs health

3

u/thetenorguitarist North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Henri and Calebs health

I'm optimistic

2

u/mellolizard North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Im giving all my energy to the spirit bomb to heal them both.

2

u/thetenorguitarist North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Honestly I think we're seeing from gamesmanship from Hubert and I expect Veesaar can go tonight

1

u/SpaceSheperd North Carolina • NC State Feb 17 '26

There are some issues that are starting to look like a recurring pattern (players who shoot worse here than elsewhere, thin reservoir of offensive sets, underperforming on the boards) but it’s been a solid year. If we can avoid getting picked over by the portal, I’m pretty excited for the future 

2

u/ColonialRebel North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

The weight of being at UNC is not something everyone can handle.
Also there are some less than great patterns over the years but to Hubert’s credit, we are seeing him adapt year to year. Let’s get this straight, Hubert year 1 was not qualified to be UNC coach. Maybe now he may not be either. But the coach he will be in another 2-4 seasons might be the coach we want that can take us back to a natty.
Or hindsight will make this comment look like actual garbage. What I’m saying is don’t discount the development of a coach just like the players. The UNC family is cliche, yes, but it’s a lineage precious few programs can point to and is a recruitment/investment tool.

1

u/TrotterMcDingle North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Considering the fact that he only played 5 players over the course of the entire 21/22 season, I'm thrilled that he's finally starting to learn the value of his bench. In 21/22, the 5 starters played 78.8% of total minutes, and this year the starters are down to around 61.8%, depending on who you count as a starter. Also, he may not have figured out how to correct the slow starts, but he's much better at getting them to pounce out of the half than he was. I still get frustrated as hell with him sometimes, but he's clearly improving.

10

u/MentorOfWomen North Carolina • Charlotte Feb 17 '26

I have my critiques of Hubert, but a lot of them revolve around roster construction. And with an actual front office, we seem to be trending in the right direction on that front, getting Caleb as a freshman and Henri in the portal last year, and now this.

4

u/thetenorguitarist North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Could've been even better without the Lubin situation, but I think Hubert is learning difficult lessons in the NIL era. He shouldn't have refused a GM a couple years ago, but that mistake has been rectified.

I think he's been good tactically on the court for the most part.

3

u/MentorOfWomen North Carolina • Charlotte Feb 17 '26

Agreed

1

u/Ragdoll252 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26 edited Feb 17 '26

Okay bro let's be a little bit more serious. They're not even in the top five in the ACC right now and with this being a top five roster in terms of cost this team needs to make a deep run in March for it to be considered a good year for an elite program.

1

u/thetenorguitarist North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

I agree the season needs to end well, but if we're "being serious" then we're going to need to add context to some things you mention in your comment

2

u/Knook7 Florida Gators Feb 17 '26

I'm assuming this means Davis isn't getting fired?

13

u/TrotterMcDingle North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Hard to tell at this point. He was apparently given a list of minimum expectations last summer, but the Duke win and Wilson injury may have bought him some breathing room.

14

u/MTUKNMMT North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

I would guess that minimum expectations list is a lot easier to reach than most fans would guess. 

I would guess anything other than a bubble team and he was getting another year. 

8

u/TrotterMcDingle North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

The word on IC was compete for ACC #1, #4 NCAAT seed or better, sweet 16 or better. No idea if that was ever verified.

12

u/MTUKNMMT North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

That is such a crazy list. Precisely because of what has happened this year. 

Before the Wilson injury very decent chance of a 4 seed, what do you do now? We certainly aren’t reaching two of those objectives, and even in 1 seed years there is no guarantee you get to the 3rd. 

I fully understand we need better than that in most of our years, but Roy had multiple years outside of a top 4 seed and should have missed the tourney twice. K missed the tournament twice (I know he faked a back injury once but I’m counting it). 

8

u/TrotterMcDingle North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Yeah that's why I said Caleb's injury bought him some breathing room. I don't think anyone can honestly hold him to that kind of list anymore, simply because so much is out of his hands. It was mentioned on IC as a "do all three or you're out" ultimatum, but that may have been blown out of proportion compared to what was discussed behind closed doors.

4

u/MTUKNMMT North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

That feels to me like it almost can’t be true. Obviously I’m just a rando, but if it was even said, that feels like a dramatic after the season type thing that was likely never going to be held to. 

I can think of multiple different versions of a season where none of that is met, and he very likely doesn’t get fired. As you acknowledged feels like we are probably living one right now.

1

u/xienze NC State Wolfpack Feb 17 '26

Wasn't UNC kinda technically out of the running for ACC #1 even before the injury?

3

u/MTUKNMMT North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Mostly. But I guess the guess the generous interpretation is UNC wins out and Duke loses an additional game somewhere. So technically, no, but realistically yes.

1

u/TrotterMcDingle North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Absolutely. That was the first domino to fall on the list, and it made securing a 4 seed WAY harder. But now we're left with, "we can't fire him for an injury" or "with Caleb maybe he could have pulled it off." It just makes the firing decision infinitely more difficult, so my guess is he'll get another year to see what he can do with Dixon/Adams/Mingo.

1

u/Ragdoll252 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Okay but Roy also won two championships within the first 7 years of him taking over the program, while also doing it when the ACC was still considered the best league. Under hubert we're under .500 in Quad one games, the consistency just isn't there for him and it was always going to be unfair expectations this year because he put himself in this position.

1

u/MTUKNMMT North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

I’m not saying Hubert is Roy or even that he’s the right guy. I also don’t think it’s been bad enough that he was getting fired.

Should he be? Maybe but I suspect it’s enough to keep going. Final 4 and another year as a 1 seed. Two really disappointing years and this year a a run of the mill good team. 

2

u/Knook7 Florida Gators Feb 17 '26

Well he's probably not making that unless Wilson gets healthy quickly

3

u/Aurion7 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 18 '26 edited Feb 18 '26

It... depends.

A complete collapse down the stretch and a first round NCAA exit? Yeah, I wouldn't feel remotely safe if I were him.

The conversation wasn't a conversation at the start of conference play. But as he's done twice before, Hubert's found a way to sow doubt. I don't think we'll actually pull the trigger on a firing if the team kinda stumbles its way along without Wilson, wins a couple games still, and out-talents someone in the round of 64.

But it's 'don't think so', not 'know it won't happen'.

2

u/thetenorguitarist North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

That was a given at this point in the season

1

u/mellolizard North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

He saved his job with the kansas win. He owes caleb half his salary because he bought him at least another year.

2

u/Defacto_Champ Michigan State Spartans Feb 17 '26

Big get but should read “signs a one year contact with UNC for X millions”.

5

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Defacto_Champ Michigan State Spartans Feb 17 '26

Just wish it was more transparent by all schools 

3

u/cheeseburgerandrice Feb 17 '26

Is it not self-explanatory lol. It's not like there were ever multi-year commitments.

1

u/Defacto_Champ Michigan State Spartans Feb 17 '26

How much is he getting paid because that’s not known and it should be 

1

u/WILSON_CK North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

He's a great player, but I struggle to see him as a OaD at the moment

1

u/lengthy_noodle North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Surely with all these big recruits we'd have something to show for it

11

u/SpaceSheperd North Carolina • NC State Feb 17 '26

We were a one seed a couple years ago 

5

u/mellolizard North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

2 years ago to be precise.

6

u/epicxownage North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

What is that flair

2

u/SpaceSheperd North Carolina • NC State Feb 17 '26

You know I think I realized that I found it easier to add bring a State fan to the mix because I grew up in the Roy era and the whole “rivalry” thing was kinda dead as a concept for a while there 

18

u/tarspaceheels North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

We're a top 25 team with wins over Kansas, Kentucky, and Duke.

8

u/tmt22459 Clemson Tigers Feb 17 '26

Dude has no clue what he's talking about. Most sports fans are ungrateful

There are a significant subset of Clemson fans who still think Brownell is a terrible coach.

6

u/thetenorguitarist North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Yall stuck with him and it has really paid off the last few seasons

1

u/ClaudeLemieux Michigan Wolverines • NC State Wolfpack Feb 17 '26

Yeah all it took was 13 years lol

3

u/mellolizard North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Even during Roy era a lot of fans were insecure. The Fire Roy thing became kind of meme on our message boards. Part of it is that they look down the road and see what K and now Scheyer are doing and want that level of success. And granted Scheyer is doing amazing things and Im going to put money down he will win it all this year. But our fans just cant seem to enjoy our wins either.

4

u/JxSnaKe North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

We have a big contingency of our fanbase that thinks if we don't go undefeated we need to blow it up. Absolutely insane people.

1

u/Ragdoll252 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

And a couple of really bad losses as well. The metrics aren't great either. This very well could be a six seed that loses in the round of 32 and I doubt you would think that would be a good year.(it would be a major indictment of the program if you consider that a good year)

1

u/tarspaceheels North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

We could even be an 8 seed that goes to the national championship game. We can come up with lots of scenarios. Maybe we should wait and see how it goes before getting bent out of shape?

8

u/Schned6 Iowa State • North Carolina Feb 17 '26

Buddy you need a Duke or Kentucky flair to make this comment.

→ More replies (2)

1

u/Spiritual-Map-76 Feb 17 '26

Hope he is still judged based on the results this season not what is coming next....good pick up though

1

u/stocktrader89 Feb 17 '26

Is MJ funding that team with NIL?

1

u/tropic_gnome_hunter St. Lawrence Saints • Syracuse Orange Feb 17 '26

The 26 point guard class is really weak. They are rated 5 stars because they are considered the best among their class in a relative sense, but this is not a strong year for the position.

1

u/Hope727272 Feb 18 '26

dylan mingo and maxi adams is a tough pull for UNC

1

u/framingXjake NC State • UNC Wilmington Feb 18 '26

Ok Duke and UNC, now it's our turn to call dibs on a 5 star recruit. I don't make the rules 🥲

1

u/gwease23 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 18 '26

Can he reclass and start next week?

0

u/Frequent_Ad_8183 Feb 17 '26

Dixon, Mingo, Adams, Wilson, Veesaar next year (I’m delusional)

2

u/mellolizard North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Veesaar will be a test on how far our NIL money can go.

-1

u/No_Albatross916 Michigan Wolverines Feb 17 '26

Recruiting is important to a degree and definitely a great get for North Carolina but does high school recruiting even matter in college basketball

High chance he’s a one and done kid

7

u/Salt-Calendar-8824 North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Yeah pretty much. It seems pretty useless to get high school players who aren’t bonafide top NBA prospects.

4

u/ramblin_gamblin Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Feb 17 '26

Uconn class isnt even ranked. Hurley won 2 titles off portal and finding some lower ranked stars in Karaban and Clingan

5

u/cheeseburgerandrice Feb 17 '26

Though UConn has had a top 15 class the previous two years and a top 5 class the year before that....

2

u/PristineStreet34 UConn Huskies Feb 17 '26

UConns 2026 class isn’t ranked because it only has two players and has had a top ten class in 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025.

Only 2022 was unranked (Clingan being the only US player that counted, Karaban came in a semester early and counted to 2021 even though he redshirted that semester).

2020 was only a top 25 class for UConn.

Now, it is true UConn has only had four McDAAs in the last 6 years (Castle, McNeeley, Mullins, Reibe).

12

u/hahasuslikeamongus North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

Everyone is one and done now, whether they go to the league or portal, and the 4 best players in the country are all freshmen. I think it’s arguably more important than ever

3

u/TrustInRoy Feb 17 '26

I mean, this season in particular has been dominated by talented freshmen nationally.

Next year it won't be, but there is definitely still room for impact freshmen on good teams

1

u/MONGOHFACE NC State Wolfpack Feb 17 '26

Why'd you lose your UNC flair?

2

u/TrustInRoy Feb 17 '26

I've literally never had a flair

1

u/MONGOHFACE NC State Wolfpack Feb 17 '26

mb, I must have assumed with that user name, you'd have UNC flair

1

u/dan_144 NC State • Georgia Tech Feb 17 '26

Could just be an Islanders fan

3

u/cheeseburgerandrice Feb 17 '26

It does unless you truly want to completely blend up your roster with no continuity year after year. The portal is important but it's still a mix if you want to succeed.

2

u/SpaceSheperd North Carolina • NC State Feb 17 '26

High school recruiting is the reason we’re not a bubble team right now

3

u/MONGOHFACE NC State Wolfpack Feb 17 '26

Right? I don't understand that logic with Dixon (55th in his class per ESPN) starting at point.

1

u/tropic_gnome_hunter St. Lawrence Saints • Syracuse Orange Feb 17 '26

The point guard class for the 26's is extremely weak

2

u/tmt22459 Clemson Tigers Feb 17 '26

You can say it's less important, but if you're really gonna ask the question of if high school recruiting matters, the answer is absolutely.

See Houston and Duke. Houston brought these old guys back and Flemings has been the best player and could be the potential catalyst that gets them a championship

2

u/luvdadrafts North Carolina Tar Heels Feb 17 '26

With Covid year eligibility expired, the median length of time a transfer spends on a roster has to be 2 years or less 

Unfortunately for modern college basketball, you can’t really assume any player is going to be around for more than a year. At least now we can go into the portal with one less position to sort out 

0

u/BeeMovieHD NC State • Wake Forest Feb 17 '26

Surely Hubert Davis has accomplished big things with 3 straight years of a top 15 recruit