If you keep up with college sports–and specifically basketball–a continual pride for Tar Heels everywhere, then you know that Carolina isn't doing so well right now. With four devastating losses against four unranked teams: Virgina Tech, Michigan State, Wofford (I know) and yes, NC State, it's clear that we've lost our groove. Although individually, players across the court, from freshman Andrew Playtek to senior Theo Pinson, can contribute to the scoreboard, I believe that its inconsistency and a lack of teamwork that's keeping Carolina from winning games they, well, should have won.

Considering that we dropped from rank 10 to 21 in the last couple of weeks, it proves that we have a bumpy road ahead of us if we want to make it back up to the top 10. With NC State's shocking win over number nine Dook, witchcraft is the only explanation for the monstrosities that are taking place in college basketball this year. Speaking of State, when did they start, no offense, playing well, exactly? Or, maybe it wasn't because State magically became a superstar team that they blew us out of the water, but more like the Tar Heels were completely disoriented and didn't have their "heads in the game." Although many may argue that "it's late enough in the season that Carolina should have its act together," any born and bred could tell you that this team has been there, done that, before - and ended up fine.

We all knew going into this season that it was highly unlikely (but not impossible, per se) that the Tar Heels would win a back-to-back Natty Champ. The team, having won the Tournament last year and making it to the finals the year before, is relatively young this season, with many freshmen and sophomores that need training up. However, we all had high standards for this year's team, anyway - which is totally acceptable. But, we must line up all of the factors before jumping the gun and lose hope on the boys.

It's difficult to point the finger as for who's to blame when in fact, it's no one's fault at all and quite frankly, fault has nothing to do with the team's performance thus far. Recognizing weak spots and correcting them quickly will allow the Tar Heels to prove that yes, Cameron Johnson can make excellence three-pointers and Luke Maye almost all of his free throws. In addition, Carolina has been in similar positions in more than a few seasons before and ended up making it quite far in the NCAA Tournament. As you've probably already heard from more than one person, basketball - and any sports season for that matter - is relative. These recent losses weren't pretty, and I'm not going to sugarcoat them. But, perspective must be taken into consideration, simply because it's only the beginning of February and there's far too much time to predict an outcome just yet.

Also, anyone who thinks Roy Williams needs to retire because he can't coach needs to fact check. This man has led the team to win three National Championships in his 15-year tenure, which is more than incredible. Being a coach is difficult. Being the coach of a team that loses top players to the NBA almost every year and still manages to perform consistently well with young, undertrained teams, is even more so. This team is motivated more than ever to prove its worth after its National Championship win last year. Like anyone, these players are their harshest critics and understand what's needed to succeed.

At this point in the season, anything can happen. With eight games left before the Tournament, Carolina could either begin another losing streak...or win almost every game. And this mystery doesn't just linger for the Tar Heels; Louisville, Dook, and even Clemson don't have records that'll confirm any of them with second-seed positions just yet, which leaves a glimmer of hope for us if we can get our act together. After the hard-fought away match against Clemson, it's clear that UNC is stepping up its game and has a chance to climb its way out of its slump.

Either way, true fans know to stick with their team, even if it's going through a rough patch. And thus, so must Carolinians. We know this team's worth more than anyone else, and now's the time to help prove it.

Time will only tell how the Tar Heels stack up against the infamous Dook Blue Devils on Thursday. Let's just hope for a slim, if any, Carolina Victory. Because it's always a GDTBATH.