Last season, for Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels, several glaring issues surfaced throughout the year. Some of those issues bled across multiple spans and cost the team a couple of wins, including the overtime loss to VCU, to ultimately end their season.
For a team that is essentially brand new compared to last season, it’s hard to use the past as a ruler for what needs to be improved, since it’s all new talent now taking the stage. But what Michael Malone and the roster can do is take notes on how the season ended and why it ended early, in order to prevent the same fate.
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Free Throws Were a Major Concern
Feb 7, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) at the free throw line in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
The Heels were unimpressive at the line, to say the least. Last season, the team shot 68% from the free-throw line, one of the lowest in Division I. Throughout many games last season, North Carolina left far too many points on the board, and it cost them some crucial wins down the stretch.
Aside from the obvious lack of points that missed free throws can create, it can also affect the wind in the team’s sails in crunch time. Missed free throws can be a momentum killer, and we saw last season how important momentum was with that team.
Feb 7, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) and bench react after hitting the game winning shot in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Without positive momentum, North Carolina wouldn’t have been able to come back in games they did, such as the thrilling win over Duke at home.
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Momentum also sent them home early. After leading the majority of the game against VCU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the game did a complete 180 when the momentum was turned around. From there, it was all VCU, and some crucial missed free throws down the stretch ended up being the nail in the coffin for North Carolina’s season.
Newcomer’s FT Rates
Mar 10, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Utah Utes guard Terrence Brown (2) drives around Cincinnati Bearcats guard Day Day Thomas (1) during the second half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images
With some of the new faces, it’s looking like free throws can still be a major pain point for the upcoming season. Terrence Brown, Matt Able, and Neoklis Avdalas all shot under 80% last year, with Able the most efficient at 79%. Avdalas leaves the most room for improvement with a 67% rate from the line.
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If North Carolina doesn’t want history to repeat itself, they’ll need to take some extra time and work on some free throws. Teams often win when they get to the line and succeed.UNC will need to improve little things like free throws to have a successful campaign.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/unc as This One Weakness Could Define UNC’s 2026-27 Season.
