The Hubert Davis era at North Carolina opened with a win as the 19th-ranked Tar Heels topped Loyola Maryland, 83-67, at home. But the 16-point victory couldn't have pleased all of the North Carolina alumni because the Tar Heels failed to cover a 24 1/2-point spread.

Now North Carolina is laying fewer points against a rusty, middle-of-the-road Ivy League school, Brown.

The Tar Heels are loaded with talent again. So while the jury remains out on Davis, I can see North Carolina running up a big enough score on this opponent to cover this lopsided margin.

Remember that the Ivy League season was cancelled last year. This is only Brown's second game in two seasons. It's the Bears' first against legitimate competition. Brown met Salve Regina in its first game and won, 89-59. Salve Regina is a private school in Rhode Island with an enrollment of fewer than 2,700 students.

The Bears were projected to finish fifth in the eight-team Ivy League in the preseason media poll. Brown's leading scorer from last season, Brandon Anderson, graduated.