GREENVILLE, S.C. — After an all-time awful collapse in the NCAA Tournament and an abysmal performance at the postgame podium, where he sounded unwilling or unable to answer for the meltdown, North Carolina coach Hubert Davis shuffled somberly back toward his team's shellshocked locker room late Thursday night. His wife Leslie sidled up silently beside him and gently rubbed his back, then held his hand.
It looked every bit like a funeral procession. They ducked into the entryway of that locker room together and Davis, with a dazed expression frozen on his face, let out the kind of deep exhale that is not relief, rather resignation. They didn't say a word. None of his devastated players around the corner were saying much either. Because, really, what is left to say?
This is simply not good enough for a program of UNC's tradition and stature, and Davis knows it. He also knows that big decisions now must be made. Whether it's an administration weighing the cost and discomfort of forcing out a member of the Carolina family or Davis doing the math on how much sticking around could harm his place in the hearts of an increasingly frustrated fanbase, it's definitely decision time.
"It's going to be the talk of the town, the talk of probably the next 36 hours in Chapel Hill," former Tar Heels star John Henson said. "I think there's probably going to be some real discussions about direction and what's next for the program and expectations and whether he thinks he can meet them — whether they think he can meet them. That's just the reality of the situation. It's unfortunate, but when you have the best job in the country, that comes with it."
In the last four seasons, Davis has delivered one missed NCAA Tournament, two first-round exits and a Sweet 16 upset loss as a No. 1 seed. From 1985, when the field expanded to 64 teams, until last season, the Tar Heels had been bounced in the first round only twice.
They'd never done anything so spectacularly devastating as what transpired here Thursday against 11th-seeded VCU: a blown 19-point lead over the final 15 minutes of regulation, a 14-point advantage gone in the last seven, and an entire overtime period without a single made bucket.
Heinous turnovers, bricked free throws, nine straight missed shots to end the game, a total inability to stop Cinderella's sixth man, who hunted Carolina's baffling switches and scorched the Heels for 34 points, including the game-winner in OT.
The obvious question after all that: What went wrong?
"What do you mean?" Davis answered.
