# 2021–22 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team

The 2021–22 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was coached by Hubert Davis, in his first season as UNC's head coach after the retirement of longtime coach Roy Williams. The Tar Heels played their home games at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
They finished the season 29–10 overall and 15–5 in ACC play to finish in a tie for second place. As the third seed in the ACC tournament, they defeated sixth seed Virginia in the Quarterfinals before losing to seventh seed and eventual champions Virginia Tech in the Semifinals. They earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and were the eighth seed in the East Region. In the Final Four, Carolina beat Duke in the first and only rivalry meeting in the NCAA tournament. This game would be the final game of Coach K's career. In the National Championship game they lost to Kansas to end their run despite leading by as many as 17 before halftime.

## Previous season

The Tar Heels finished the 2020–21 season 18–11, 10–6 in ACC play to finish in a tie for fifth place. On February 27, 2021, head coach Roy Williams won his 900th career game in a win over Florida State, becoming the 5th and fastest Division 1 men's head coach to reach the milestone. On March 6, 2021, UNC completed a season sweep over rival Duke in a 91–73 win. Following the win, Roy Williams kissed the Smith Center court, causing speculation of possible retirement. Williams later said it was because of the team's 10–1 home record. As the No. 6 seed in the ACC tournament, they defeated Notre Dame and Virginia Tech, before losing to Florida State in the semifinals. The Virginia Tech win would end up as Williams' 903rd and last win as a coach. North Carolina received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as a No. 8 seed and would lose in the first round to 9th-seeded Wisconsin in what would be Roy Williams' last game. Following the season, Roy Williams announced he would retire after 18 years as head coach of North Carolina.

## Offseason

On April 1, 2021, Roy Williams announced his retirement. Williams stated that he didn't feel like he was the "right man for the job anymore". ESPN's Seth Greenberg suspected the changing culture of college basketball and "constantly re-recruiting your players, as opposed to mentoring them" played a part in Williams' decision. Following the announcement, athletic director Bubba Cunningham and chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz started the process of searching for the next head coach. CBS Sports' Matt Norlander said "The best job in college basketball just opened". On April 5, 2021, UNC hired former player and assistant coach Hubert Davis as the next head coach. The next day, Davis was formally introduced at an introductory press conference.

### Roster changes

Following UNC's loss to Wisconsin in the 2021 NCAA tournament, Sports Illustrated's Quierra Luck reported, "Carolina will have some transfers; a considerably high number for UNC" and Inside Carolina's Sherrell McMillan reported the offseason would be "ominous".
Three days later, freshman center Walker Kessler announced he was entering the NCAA's transfer portal. Inside Carolina reported that Kessler's decision was a "basketball decision only". On April 12, 2021, Kessler announced that he would transfer to Auburn for the 2021-22 season.
On March 24, 2021, freshman forward/center Day'Ron Sharpe declared for the 2021 NBA draft. On April 6, 2021 sophomore Armando Bacot also declared for the NBA draft, citing his intentions to "test the waters". On June 21, 2021 Bacot formally withdrew from the NBA draft process, signaling his return to UNC for his junior season in a tweet.
Redshirt junior Sterling Manley, walk-on senior Walker Miller, and senior forward Garrison Brooks all announced intentions to graduate and transfer. Brooks transferred to Mississippi State on April 15. On June 19, Miller announced he would be pursuing a graduate transfer at Monmouth University, and would be coached there by another former Tar Heel player in King Rice. Manley eventually pulled his name from the transfer portal and decided to turn professional. After graduation, guard Andrew Platek eventually put his name into the transfer portal, and enrolled at Siena College in his home state of New York.
Coach Davis was active in the transfer portal to mitigate these losses. On April 10, 2021, Virginia transfer Justin McKoy chose the Tar Heels. He was followed on April 16 by Oklahoma forward Brady Manek. On July 8, 2021, the Tar Heels picked up another transfer when former Marquette forward Dawson Garcia, a Big East All-Freshman team selection for the 2020–2021 season, committed to the Tar Heels. His addition was made official on July 9, when the school issued a press release indicating his signing and arrival in Chapel Hill.

### Departures

North Carolina Departures :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for Departure |
| Andrew Platek | 3 | G | 6'4" | 205 | Senior | Guilderland, NY | Graduated and transferred to Siena |
| Day'Ron Sharpe | 11 | F/C | 6'11" | 265 | Freshman | Greenville, NC | Declared for the 2021 NBA draft |
| Walker Kessler | 13 | F/C | 7'1" | 245 | Freshman | Newnan, GA | Transferred to Auburn |
| Garrison Brooks | 15 | F | 6'10" | 240 | Senior | Lafayette, AL | Graduated and transferred to Mississippi State |
| Sterling Manley | 21 | F | 6'11" | 250 | Junior | Pickerington, OH | Graduated |
| Walker Miller | 22 | F | 6'11" | 235 | Senior | Greensboro, NC | Graduated and transferred to Monmouth |
| K. J. Smith | 30 | G | 6'2" | 170 | Senior | Calabasas, CA | Graduated |

### Incoming transfers

North Carolina Incoming Transfers :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School | Years Remaining | Date Eligible |
| Dawson Garcia | 13 | F | 6'11" | 235 | Sophomore | Prior Lake, MN | Marquette | 4 | October 1, 2021 |
| Justin McKoy | 22 | F | 6'8" | 220 | Junior | Raleigh, NC | Virginia | 3 | October 1, 2021 |
| Brady Manek | 45 | F | 6'9" | 230 | Graduate | Harrah, OK | Oklahoma | 1 | October 1, 2021 |

### 2021 recruiting class

College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Dontrez Styles SF | Kinston, NC | Kinston | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Apr 18, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 84 ||||||
| D'Marco Dunn SG | Tucson, AZ | Westover (NC) | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Sep 30, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 85 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 35 247Sports: 38 ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "North Carolina 2021 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 20, 2021. "2021 North Carolina Tar Heels Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 20, 2021. "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 20, 2021. ||||||

## Roster

^ Shaver, a member of North Carolina's 2022 recruiting class, enrolled a semester early due to the Tar Heels having an extra scholarship available. He will redshirt for the remainder of the 2021–22 season.

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| November 5, 2021* 7:30 p.m., ACCNX | No. 19 | Elizabeth City State | W 83–55 | – | 17 – Garcia | 7 – Black | 5 – Tied | Dean Smith Center (18,061) Chapel Hill, NC |
| Regular Season |||||||||
| November 9, 2021* 7:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 19 | Loyola (MD) | W 83–67 | 1–0 | 22 – Love | 9 – Garcia | 5 – Davis | Dean Smith Center (14,992) Chapel Hill, NC |
| November 12, 2021* 9:00 p.m., ACCN | No. 19 | Brown | W 94–87 | 2–0 | 26 – Davis | 10 – Bacot | 6 – Davis | Dean Smith Center (16,854) Chapel Hill, NC |
| November 16, 2021* 8:30 p.m., CBSSN | No. 18 | at College of Charleston | W 94–83 | 3–0 | 24 – Bacot | 12 – Bacot | 6 – Love | TD Arena (5,203) Charleston, SC |
| November 20, 2021* 4:00 p.m., ESPNews | No. 18 | vs. No. 6 Purdue Hall of Fame Tip Off semifinal | L 84–93 | 3–1 | 26 – Garcia | 8 – Garcia | 4 – Tied | Mohegan Sun Arena (9,176) Uncasville, CT |
| November 21, 2021* 3:30 p.m., ESPN | No. 18 | vs. No. 17 Tennessee Hall of Fame Tip Off third place game | L 72–89 | 3–2 | 16 – Bacot | 12 – Bacot | 4 – Davis | Mohegan Sun Arena (9,100) Uncasville, CT |
| November 23, 2021* 7:00 p.m., ACCRSN | | UNC Asheville | W 72–53 | 4–2 | 22 – Bacot | 11 – Black | 5 – Love | Dean Smith Center (15,710) Chapel Hill, NC |
| December 1, 2021* 9:15 p.m., ESPN | | No. 24 Michigan ACC/Big Ten Challenge | W 72–51 | 5–2 | 22 – Love | 14 – Bacot | 4 – Love | Dean Smith Center (19,938) Chapel Hill, NC |
| December 5, 2021 3:00 p.m., ESPN | | at Georgia Tech | W 79–62 | 6–2 (1–0) | 23 – Davis | 13 – Bacot | 5 – Tied | McCamish Pavilion (6,217) Atlanta, GA |
| December 11, 2021* 8:00 p.m., ACCN | | Elon | W 80–63 | 7–2 | 22 – Tied | 8 – Black | 3 – Black | Dean Smith Center (16,607) Chapel Hill, NC |
| December 14, 2021* 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | Furman | W 74–61 | 8–2 | 20 – Garcia | 12 – Bacot | 7 – Davis | Dean Smith Center (14,342) Chapel Hill, NC |
| December 18, 2021* 3:00 p.m., CBS | | vs. No. 4 UCLA CBS Sports Classic | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues within UCLA program | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues within UCLA program | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues within UCLA program | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues within UCLA program | Canceled due to COVID-19 issues within UCLA program | T-Mobile Arena Paradise, NV |
| December 18, 2021* 5:30 p.m., CBS | | vs. No. 21 Kentucky CBS Sports Classic | L 69–98 | 8–3 | 22 – Bacot | 10 – Bacot | 3 – Davis | T-Mobile Arena (12,117) Paradise, NV |
| December 21, 2021* 7:00 p.m., ACCN | | Appalachian State | W 70–50 | 9–3 | 16 – Bacot | 11 – Manek | 5 – Love | Dean Smith Center (19,386) Chapel Hill, NC |
| January 2, 2022 1:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | at Boston College | W 91–65 | 10–3 (2–0) | 22 – Love | 11 – Bacot | 5 – Black | Conte Forum (5,516) Chestnut Hill, MA |
| January 5, 2022 9:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | at Notre Dame | L 73–78 | 10–4 (2–1) | 21 – Bacot | 17 – Bacot | 5 – Davis | Edmund P. Joyce Center (6,259) South Bend, IN |
| January 8, 2022 1:00 p.m., ESPN | | Virginia | W 74–58 | 11–4 (3–1) | 29 – Bacot | 21 – Bacot | 5 – Tied | Dean Smith Center (20,638) Chapel Hill, NC |
| January 15, 2022 8:00 p.m., ACCN | | Georgia Tech | W 88–65 | 12–4 (4–1) | 29 – Bacot | 12 – Bacot | 6 – Davis | Dean Smith Center (18,568) Chapel Hill, NC |
| January 18, 2022 7:00 p.m., ACCN | | at Miami (FL) | L 57–85 | 12–5 (4–2) | 15 – Bacot | 12 – Bacot | 3 – 3 Tied | Watsco Center (5,979) Coral Gables, FL |
| January 22, 2022 8:00 p.m., ACCN | | at Wake Forest Rivalry | L 76–98 | 12–6 (4–3) | 22 – Manek | 12 – Bacot | 3 – Tied | LJVM Coliseum (11,898) Winston-Salem, NC |
| January 24, 2022 8:00 p.m., ACCN | | Virginia Tech Rescheduled from Dec. 29, 2021 | W 78–68 | 13–6 (5–3) | 22 – Love | 19 – Bacot | 5 – Love | Dean Smith Center (19,357) Chapel Hill, NC |
| January 26, 2022 7:00 p.m., ACCRSN | | Boston College | W 58–47 | 14–6 (6–3) | 16 – Love | 18 – Bacot | 5 – Black | Dean Smith Center (17,237) Chapel Hill, NC |
| January 29, 2022 2:00 p.m., ACCN | | NC State Rivalry | W 100–80 | 15–6 (7–3) | 21 – Love | 13 – Bacot | 5 – Love | Dean Smith Center (21,750) Durham, NC |
| February 1, 2022 8:00 p.m., ACCN | | at Louisville | W 90–83 $^{OT}$ | 16–6 (8–3) | 24 – Manek | 22 – Bacot | 6 – Love | KFC Yum! Center (13,386) Louisville, KY |
| February 5, 2022 6:00 p.m., ESPN | | No. 9 Duke Rivalry | L 67–87 | 16–7 (8–4) | 21 – Manek | 6 – Tied | 4 – Love | Dean Smith Center (21,750) Chapel Hill, NC |
| February 8, 2022 6:00 p.m., ACCN | | at Clemson | W 79–77 | 17–7 (9–4) | 24 – Bacot | 10 – Bacot | 6 – Davis | Littlejohn Coliseum (7,470) Clemson, SC |
| February 12, 2022 2:00 p.m., ESPN | | Florida State | W 94–74 | 18–7 (10–4) | 18 – Love | 14 – Bacot | 6 – Love | Dean Smith Center (20,348) Chapel Hill, NC |
| February 16, 2022 8:00 p.m., ACCN | | Pittsburgh | L 67–76 | 18–8 (10–5) | 19 – Love | 10 – Manek | 4 – Bacot | Dean Smith Center (17,270) Chapel Hill, NC |
| February 19, 2022 4:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | at Virginia Tech | W 65–57 | 19–8 (11–5) | 21 – Love | 15 – Bacot | 7 – Love | Cassell Coliseum (9,825) Blacksburg, VA |
| February 21, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN | | Louisville | W 70–63 | 20–8 (12–5) | 17 – Manek | 15 – Bacot | 5 – Love | Dean Smith Center (18,618) Chapel Hill, NC |
| February 26, 2022 2:00 p.m., ESPN | | at NC State Rivalry | W 84–74 | 21–8 (13–5) | 28 – Bacot | 18 – Bacot | 5 – Manek | PNC Arena (16,704) Raleigh, NC |
| February 28, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN | | Syracuse | W 88–79 $^{OT}$ | 22–8 (14–5) | 22 – Manek | 18 – Bacot | 7 – Black | Dean Smith Center (21,750) Chapel Hill, NC |
| March 5, 2022 6:00 p.m., ESPN | | at No. 4 Duke Rivalry | W 94–81 | 23–8 (15–5) | 23 – Bacot | 11 – Manek | 5 – Love | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| ACC Tournament |||||||||
| March 10, 2022 9:30 p.m., ESPN | (3) No. 25 | vs. (6) Virginia Quarterfinals | W 63–43 | 24–8 | 21 – Manek | 11 – Bacot | 6 – Davis | Barclays Center (15,994) Brooklyn, NY |
| March 11, 2022 9:30 p.m., ESPN | (3) No. 25 | vs. (7) Virginia Tech Semifinals | L 59–72 | 24–9 | 19 – Bacot | 14 – Bacot | 4 – Tied | Barclays Center (15,994) Brooklyn, NY |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 17, 2022* 4:30 p.m., TBS | (8 E) | vs. (9 E) Marquette First Round | W 95–63 | 25–9 | 28 – Manek | 11 – Manek | 12 – Davis | Dickies Arena (12,964) Fort Worth, TX |
| March 19, 2022* 12:10 p.m., CBS | (8 E) | vs. (1 E) No. 4 Baylor Second Round | W 93–86 $^{OT}$ | 26–9 | 30 – Davis | 16 – Bacot | 6 – Davis | Dickies Arena (13,300) Fort Worth, TX |
| March 25, 2022* 9:40 p.m., CBS | (8 E) | vs. (4 E) No. 11 UCLA Sweet Sixteen | W 73–66 | 27–9 | 30 – Love | 15 – Bacot | 4 – Love | Wells Fargo Center (20,136) Philadelphia, PA |
| March 27, 2022* 5:05 p.m., CBS | (8 E) | vs. (15 E) Saint Peter's Elite Eight | W 69–49 | 28–9 | 20 – Bacot | 22 – Bacot | 5 – Black | Wells Fargo Center (20,235) Philadelphia, PA |
| April 2, 2022 8:49 p.m., TBS | (8 E) | vs. (2 W) No. 9 Duke Final Four/Rivalry | W 81–77 | 29–9 | 28 – Love | 21 – Bacot | 4 – Davis | Caesars Superdome (70,602) New Orleans, LA |
| April 4, 2022 9:20 p.m., TBS | (8 E) | vs. (1 MW) No. 3 Kansas National Championship | L 69–72 | 29–10 | 15 – Tied | 15 – Bacot | 2 – Tied | Caesars Superdome (69,423) New Orleans, LA |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final |
| AP | 19 | 18 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | RV | Not released |
| Coaches | 20 | 20* | RV | — | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | RV | — | — | — | RV | — | RV | RV | RV | 2 |
*Coaches did not release a week 1 poll.