No. 18 UNC Called out as Overrated After 3rd Straight Loss to No. 10 Indiana

Joseph Zucker @@JosephZuckerFeatured Columnist IVDecember 1, 2022

BLOOMINGTON, IN - NOVEMBER 30: North Carolina Tar Heels forward Armando Bacot (5) talks to forward Pete Nance (32) during a game against the Indiana Hoosiers on November 30, 2022, at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Hubert Davis isn't on the hot seat by any stretch, but the North Carolina head coach is learning how quickly the honeymoon period can end after a deep tournament run.

Having opened 2022-23 as the No. 1 team in the country, the No. 18 Tar Heels might be at risk of falling out of the Top 25 altogether after losing their third straight game Wednesday night to Indiana. The 10th-ranked Hoosiers earned a 77-65 victory in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

There was understandably plenty of criticism directed toward Davis' squad. Caleb Love shot 5-of-16 for 13 points, while Leaky Black was held scoreless. Armando Bacot posted his fourth double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds).

Antwan V. Staley @antwanstaley
UNC basketball went from the No. 1 team in the country to a three game losing streak. I knew they were overrated but geez.

James Boyd @RomeovilleKid
Should just count it as an IU blow out. At not point did it feel like UNC could win, even with a generous whistle on the road. Impressive.

Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
The 3 straight losses by ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/UNC_Basketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UNC_Basketball</a>⁩ ties for the most by a preseason No. 1 They play at 7-1 ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/HokiesMBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HokiesMBB</a>⁩ next <a href="https://t.co/09DYbCJeke">pic.twitter.com/09DYbCJeke</a>

Bennett Conlin @BennettConlin
I’m old enough to remember when people put UNC men’s basketball at No. 1 in their preseason polls.

Marty Mush @martymush
I couldn't of been more spot on about UNC <a href="https://t.co/IFcUOeA3sl">pic.twitter.com/IFcUOeA3sl</a>

John Fanta @John_Fanta
They say March is the only time of year that matters. Well, it was the case in North Carolina being ranked preseason #1. The Tar Heels don’t even look like a Top 25 team right now.

North Carolina peaked at the right time last year en route to finishing runner-up in the NCAA tournament. Maybe UNC will follow a similar arc again, but Wednesday exposed clear problems in the eyes of some.

Myron Medcalf @MedcalfByESPN
Whew. North Carolina is broken right now. Hubert Davis has a lot to address with this group that just doesn’t compete like the team we saw in last year’s NCAA tournament.

Caroline Darney @cwdarney
Three game losing streak for UNC could easily become four with a trip to Virginia Tech up next. 😬

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Ray Jr @RaymondLucasJr
North Carolina has guards that thrive off do or die basketball which is great in March but ugly in November. A whole lot of bad possessions in this Indiana game

Brian Hamilton @_Brian_Hamilton
North Carolina is not good. It’s not right. Time for Hubert Davis to send messages with playing time, no matter how thin the bench. If he doesn’t? Maybe reevaluate the head coach, too.

Eric Michael Garcia @EricMGarcia
Yeah, this worries me. Caleb Love didn't really flip on the switch until the tournament. RJ needs to step it up. Manek was the perfect complement to that team. <a href="https://t.co/STlaFcDUaO">https://t.co/STlaFcDUaO</a>

The Tar Heels open ACC play Sunday against Virginia Tech, and a road game at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia, will be far from a gimme for a team that's reeling.

Virginia Tech will be itching to earn a signature win that shows its 7-1 start is for real, so the Hokies will love nothing more than handing UNC a fourth successive loss.