Once the ACC favorite, North Carolina’s many warts were exposed during losses to Northern Iowa and Texas. These Tar Heels were too soft, without the killer instinct that had made Roy Williams’ previous title winners so special.
A month later, UNC sits on top of the ACC standings and once again looks like the ACC favorite. But how did we get here? That’s the question.
Over their last nine wins, the Heels’ frontcourt has reminded everyone why they were largely considered to be the best in the country coming into the season. With their versatility of athleticism, strength, and skill, they’ve found varying ways of punishing the competition. Led by Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks (don’t forget about Isaiah Hicks, who’s given them valuable minutes at times as well), the Heels are crashing the glass with authority, sharing the ball among the best in the country, and it’s resulting in the second ranked scoring offense nation wide.
Still, they need Marcus Paige to get back on track. He’s combined for just six points the last two games on 2-for-17 shooting from the field. He did have 11 assists and eight rebounds in those games, but they need him to be an efficient threat on the offensive end of the floor.
So much of this team’s potential comes down to their focus on the defensive end, something they’ve struggled with at times this season. Most title contenders, save for Duke a year ago, spend most of the regular season ranked among the nation’s best defensive units. The Blue Devils, though, proved that getting hot at the right time, and keeping others from getting hot, is enough to win the whole shebang if you have enough talent.
If UNC can have a Duke-esque realization on that end, they could be cutting down the nets come March Madness.
