College Basketball
UNC, NC State and Duke: What's on tap for next season?
WRAL sports investigative reporter Brian Murphy discusses what the Triangle's men's basketball teams should expect for the 2025-26 season.
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WRAL sports investigative reporter Brian Murphy discusses what the Triangle's men's basketball teams should expect for the 2025-26 season.
STILL HAD MY BACK. >> THE COLLEGE BASKETBALL SEASON IS OVER AND ENDED WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF DISAPPOINTMENT. DUKE MADE THE FINAL 4. UNC BARELY MADE THE TOURNAMENT. NC STATE DIDN'T EVEN MAKE THE ACC TOURNAMENT NEXT SEASON WILL BRING COACHING CHANGES. REFRESH LAW ROSTERS AND A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY FROM NIL. I WANTED TO FIND OUT WITH THE TRIANGLE'S TEAMS NEED TO DO TO GET BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT NEXT SEASON. SO I TOOK A TRIP DOWN IMMERSE TURF. ALRIGHT, MURPH, NOBODY. AND THEN LET'S TEAR THE BAND-AID OFF RIGHT AWAY AND TALK ABOUT THE DUKE LOSS IN THE FINAL 4 AND IT IS IT IS CATASTROPHIC FOR FANS AS IT FEELS. AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE OF HOW DIFFERENT. >> COLLEGE BASKETBALL IS NOWADAYS YOU CAN HAVE AN AMAZING LAST FOR ONE YEAR AND THEN THE NEXT YEAR DUE TO THE NBA OR THE PORTAL OR A MILLION OTHER FACTORS, IT LOOKS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT. AND THIS LOSS WOULD HURT ANY WAY UP 14 IN THE FINAL 4 WHERE YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE BEST TEAM IN THE COUNTRY. >> AND TO LOSE IN THE WAY THEY LOST. I THINK THAT LOST A STONE FOR DUKE ANYHOW. BUT WHEN YOU REALIZE THAT WAS THE LAST ACT FOR COOPER FLAGG LIKELY THE LAST WEEK ON CAN DOUBLE THE LAST SHOT WITH MY WATCH. IT REALLY FEELS LIKE DUKE SQUANDERED AN OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU SAID. THESE GUYS ARE 3 NBA LOTTERY PICKS AND WHO KNOWS WHERE ALL THE SPARE PARTS ARE GOING TO GO. THEY COULD ALL HIT THE PORTAL TO COULD HAVE TO REBUILD ITS ENTIRE ROSTER JUST LIKE IT DID LAST OFFSEASON ONCE AGAIN, ANOTHER GREAT RECRUITING CLASS COMING IN. BUT AS WE SAW THIS YEAR, THAT'S NO GUARANTEE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO WIN IT. AND I THINK LOOKING AT NC STATE IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT AND SEE STATE HAD A GREAT YEAR GOES TO THE FINAL 4. AND THEN THIS YEAR THEY DON'T EVEN MAKE THE ACC. >> CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE AC ACC TOURNAMENT, IS THIS WHAT WE ARE EXPECTING FROM COLLEGE BASKETBALL NOWADAYS? THIS ANNUAL REBUILD A PROGRAM? >> YEAH, NO DOUBT. I THINK THAT THE ROSTERS ARE GOING TO THINK BACK TO DO GREAT WHEN THEY WON THEIR FIRST CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 91. AND 92 NOTE, THOUGH, THAT SAME TEAM, THE BASICS OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS OF THAT TEAM HAD LOST THE TITLE GAME IN 1990. THEY STUCK TOGETHER FOR 3 MORE YEARS TO WIN 2 TITLES. THAT'S JUST NOT GOING TO HAPPEN THESE DAYS. WHETHER IT'S THE NBA WITH ONE AND DONES, WHETHER IT'S THE TRANSFER PORTAL, EVEN YOUR SPARE PARTS EVEN GUYS WHO ARE COMING OFF THE BENCH, YOU MIGHT BE KEY CONTRIBUTORS THE NEXT YEAR. THEY'RE GOING TO BE BETTER OFF OR SOMEWHERE ELSE. NC STATE IS HANGING THEIR HAT ON A NEW COACH, THOUGH. THEY SEEM VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS GUY. SHOULD THEY BE THIS EXCITED? WHAT WHY IS THIS SUCH A HUGE GRAB FOR THEM? IT'S HARD TO REMEMBER A TIME WHEN PEOPLE IN THIS EXCITED ABOUT AND SEIZED A BASKETBALL BEFORE THE SEASON. CERTAINLY THE RUN TO THE FINAL 4 YOUNG PEOPLE ENERGIZED. BUT WE'LL LEAVE HAS BROUGHT A NEW ENTHUSIASM TO THIS PROGRAM. HE'S WON EVERYWHERE. HE'S BEEN. YOU WANT TO CHAT AND KNEW HE WANTED VCU. HE WANTED LSU. WE CERTAINLY WANT TO MAKE ME STATE AND I THINK FANCY THAT AS HE'S GOING TO FINALLY RISE ARE ELEVATE NC STATE TO A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN COMPETE WITH DUKE AND CAROLINA AND SOME OF THE OTHER TEAMS IN THE ACC. PLUS, HE COMES IN AT A TIME WHEN YOU KNOW, AND MATTERS A WHOLE LOT. YOU CAN REBUILD REALLY QUICKLY. AND AT A TIME WHEN THE REST OF THE ACC OUTSIDE OF DUKE IS DOWN, UNC. >> THEY DID. THEY HAD A YEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY THEY BARELY MADE THE TOURNAMENT. SURE THEY WANT TO GAME. BUT THIS IS A FAN BASE THAT WANTS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. THEY DON'T WANT TO JUST BE PART OF THE PARTY. GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING TOWARD IN THE NEXT YEAR, HOW THE PORTER WAS AFFECTING THEM AND WHAT'S ON THE LINE FOR THEIR HEAD COACH? YEAH, I THINK THIS IS A MAKE OR BREAK YEAR FOR HUBERT DAVIS AND CANNOT AFFORD ANOTHER SEASON WHERE THERE'S ALL BUBBLE TALK THROUGHOUT FEBRUARY AND EARLY MARCH. >> THIS TEAM HAS TO BE SOLIDLY IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT AND THAT'S GOING TO REQUIRE A LOT OF WORK DONE IN THE PORTAL ALREADY THE TEAM'S LAST WEEK THEIR STARTING POINT GUARD, THEY LOST THEIR CENTER JALEN WASHINGTON. THEY'VE LOST A TALENTED FRESHMAN AND IN JACKSON. SO THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REBUILD THROUGH THE PORTAL. LIVE ADDED SOME PIECES. BUT THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF ROSTER, CONSTRUCTION TO BE DONE IN CHAPEL HILL. AND THIS IS LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT A ONE-YEAR REBUILD. THIS GONNA HAVE TO BE A QUICK REBUILD FOR HUBERT DAVIS AND THAT ARE YOU ALL RIGHT. >> THANKS, MURPHY. THANK YOU, EVERYBODY.