More than a year ago, Davidson rolled into the Smith Center and lent credence to the sky-is-falling mentality that followed North Carolina's season-opening loss to Hampton.
The Tar Heels, it seemed, would be in for a long season.
With a 2-3 zone defense that gave UNC fits and clutch 3-point and free-throw shooting, the Wildcats held on down the stretch for a 58-54 win that sent the Tar Heels to 0-2.
UNC finished 8-20. Davidson ended up 21-10 and nearly upset Ohio State in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
And though this season's edition of the Tar Heels is entirely different from last year's squad, Davidson returns to Chapel Hill as a challenging, if not dangerous, opponent for UNC.
After dropping two of three games since losing freshman center Sean May to a broken foot, the Tar Heels are in dire need of a win, especially with the ACC schedule lurking on the horizon.
And who stands in the way? The troublesome Wildcats, a team with deadly 3-point shooters, decent size inside and senior leaders who have beaten UNC in the Smith Center before.
Davidson's scoring average of 86.6 points per game is padded by three 100-plus scoring binges against the likes of Washington & Lee, Washington College and Washington & Jefferson, but the Wildcats also gave No. 1 Duke some trouble in their season opener at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
In that game, a 95-80 Blue Devil win, Davidson cut a 19-point Duke lead to six with 1:09 to go before the home team pulled away with a slew of free throws down the stretch. That type of persistence, along with some good coaching by Bob McKillop, helped the Wildcats beat UNC last season.
