Texas 85, UNC 67: Yep, It's Time to Panic

To this point in the season, there wasn't really any shame in losing to a Butler team that everyone now realizes is top-25 worthy and an Indiana team then ranked #1 in the country (HOW they lost those games, however, probably does deserve some shaming). But this... this is absolutely reason for the Carolina fan base to put themselves into the fetal position for the remainder of the season and prepare for some rough times ahead.

The Heels just allowed 85 points to an abysmal offensive team that didn't even have their best offensive player - the Longhorns ranked near the bottom of the country in points per possession and points per game. At various times in the game, UNC made them look unstoppable.

The Carolina offense, too, does not look to be showing any significant signs of progression. The starting lineup racked up 14 turnovers between them, contributing mightily to Texas jumping out to a big early-game lead. I keep trying to cling to the optimism of watching UNC play great for about 7-10 minutes a game, but unfortunately when they play terrible for the rest of the time, the net result is a 20+ point loss.

As much as I have tried to resist it, I believe it's finally time as a fan base to hold Roy Williams accountable. A team that fluctuates wildly in its performance, allows inferior opponents back into games, has to be losing by a huge margin to get it in gear and has no discernable leader on the floor are all elements that point to flaws in coaching, not lack of talent. When I look at pictures of these games I see way too many photos of Roy losing it on the sidelines and screaming at players, followed by reading postgame quotes about how unhappy he was with the performance and saying the team was "timid" or "soft." You can make arguments that effort is something that comes from players, not coaches, but when it is a team-wide problem rather than relegated to certain individuals, that means it's part of a bigger problem.

Maybe Roy's leadership style means players have to self-actualize and figure out themselves what responsibility needs to be taken on, but right now it really feels like there's no captain steering this ship, and consequently like many other fans I get the dreaded feeling that we're headed for an iceberg.