"Hubert lost the locker room" "Culture problem": Fans react as North Carolina loses 2 players to transfer portal following March Madness exit

After an unforgettable season, the North Carolina Tar Heels are preparing for significant changes. Veterans RJ Davis and Jae'Lyn Withers have reached the end of their eligibility, while young talents Jalen Washington and Elliot Cadeau have entered the transfer portal.

On3 Sports' Transfer Portal account on X reported the news of Washington entering the portal on Wednesday, a day after Cadeau had made his announcement.

It has become a recurring theme in Chapel Hill that coach Hubert Davis has been unable to retain players on the roster. A total of 17 players have departed the program in the last two seasons, with eight of them transferring elsewhere via the portal.

With two players from this season's roster having decided to move away from North Carolina, fans expressed concern about the program's future.

"Hubert (Davis) lost the locker room I’m dead," one wrote.

"Culture problem in Chapel Hill," another commented.

"The Tarheels are treading on thin ice. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t believe in next season," one tweet read.

"Jalen wants to play as a stretch 4 and that’s probably the better fit for him. I hope he finds the right fit to get things going," another fan added.

More fans chimed in:

"when is Hubert hitting the transfer portal," a fan asked, joking about Davis potentially getting fired.

"Things aren’t looking good in Chapel Hill right now," another commented, adding a grimacing and woozy face emoji.

Washington averaged 5.7 points and 4.2 rebounds, shooting 59.4% from the field playing under 16 minutes per game.

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A look at North Carolina's journey under Hubert Davis' coaching

After guiding North Carolina to three national championships, Roy Williams retired in 2021, passing the baton to his assistant coach Hubert Davis.

In his first season, Davis led the Tar Heels to the national championship game, losing to Kansas. The next season, UNC missed the NCAA Tournament after a disappointing 20-13 record.

The Tar Heels won the ACC regular season title this past season but saw their March Madness hopes dashed in the Sweet 16. North Carolina holds a 101-45 record (.692) in four seasons under Davis.

During the postgame press conference following the loss to Ole Miss last week, Davis, asked about his future with the program, responded that he hasn't yet considered what lies ahead.

His focus will now turn to the transfer portal and recruiting as he looks to retool his roster for another run next season.