Tar Heels Struggle with Slow Starts, Lose to Miami

North Carolina falls to 5-5 in Quad 1 games after 75-66 loss at Miami

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The North Carolina Tar Heels have struggled with slow starts throughout the season, and that trend continued in their 75-66 loss to the Miami Hurricanes. The Tar Heels trailed early in the game and faced a halftime deficit, unable to find their rhythm against Miami's defensive schemes. Turnovers, poor rebounding, and a lack of intensity in the opening minutes proved costly as the Hurricanes controlled the paint and made UNC pay for defensive lapses.

Why it matters

Slow starts have been a persistent problem for the Tar Heels this season, and their inability to come out with energy and focus has resulted in several losses in key Quad 1 games. This loss to Miami further highlights the need for UNC to address these issues, as they continue to face tough ACC competition and aim to improve their NCAA Tournament seeding.

The details

In the loss to Miami, the Tar Heels struggled with turnovers early, and center Henri Veesaar called the start "kind of unacceptable." UNC was unable to match Miami's physicality, as the Hurricanes dominated the paint and second-chance points. The Tar Heels' offense also stalled in the second half, shooting just 26% from the floor, as they settled for jump shots instead of attacking the basket.

  • The Tar Heels trailed after five minutes in all but one game (at Stanford) and faced halftime deficits in all but three games (Ohio State, SMU and Stanford).
  • On Monday, UNC fell to 5-5 in Quad 1 games after the 75-66 loss at Miami.

The players

Henri Veesaar

The North Carolina center who called the team's start to the game "kind of unacceptable" due to the high number of turnovers.

Hubert Davis

The head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, who expressed concern about the team's consistent issues with defense, rebounding, and taking care of the basketball.

Jarin Stevenson

The North Carolina player who pointed to breakdowns around the rim and the need to defend better in the paint as the root of the team's problems against Miami.

Kyan Evans

The North Carolina player who said the team was prepared for Miami's defensive switching between zone and man-to-man, but still struggled to find a rhythm offensively.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We just kind of started, maybe a little loose at the start of the game, where we turned the ball over a lot. We've got to do a better job of [starting games well].”

— Henri Veesaar, North Carolina center (tarheeltribune.com)

“What needed to work was rebounding and making those toughness plays. It's not about missed shots. It's about defense, rebounding and taking care of the basketball, and those are the boxes that we didn't definitively check today.”

— Hubert Davis, North Carolina head coach (tarheeltribune.com)

“Got to defend better in the paint. A lot of that comes from messing up our switches or just offensive rebounds. So just working on that, boxing out.”

— Jarin Stevenson, North Carolina player (tarheeltribune.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.