New favorite to replace Hubert Davis at UNC emerges ahead of national title

A week ago, it felt like Christmas for North Carolina fans.

Yes, they might have been bounced in the opening round of March Madness, but they were without their best player, Caleb Wilson, and had the world as their oyster.

Hubert Davis was gone, Duke had just choked hilariously to UConn, and it felt like they could get any coach they wanted on the board to come to Chapel Hill to coach the Tar Heels.

Then Rick Pitino re-signed with St. John’s.

Then Tommy Lloyd re-signed with Arizona.

Then Nate Oats re-signed with Alabama.

And on Sunday, Dusty May and his team around him have made it clear that they have no interest in the UNC job.

What was once a buffet of elite coaches with numerous styles has now become a much narrower hunt, with the leading favorite, Billy Donovan, rumored not to be interested in returning to college after over a decade in the NBA.

Where does that leave the Tar Hells?

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Well, on the eve of the biggest game of the year, between May’s Michigan Wolverines and Dan Hurley’s UConn Huskies, a new name that wasn’t at the forefront during the first week has seen his odds skyrocket over the past 24 hours.

Per Kalshi, the prediction website, there is a new second-favorite behind Donovodan for the Tar Heels gig.

Scott Drew has been the coach of the Baylor Bears for over two decades and won a national title with the program five seasons ago.

Although his team didn’t make the tournament this season, going 17-17, Drew is a well-respected coach in the college world and is now at 18%, per Kalshi, which is slightly above Iowa’s McCollum at 15%.

UNC fans might not see Drew as the flashiest pick, especially compared to a poaching of Pitino, Lloyd, or May, but he could be one of their better options on the board following the slew of re-signings in the college world.