2) Has UNC started to fix their problems?
North Carolina has plenty of their own problems they’re trying to fix, specifically with their lineups. Their roster is full of shooters and is more conducive to playing small ball, but Roy Williams has been stubborn in his desire to keep one true big man on the court virtually all the time.
Williams loves playing big and that has consistently made UNC one of the best rebounding teams in the country. However, they’ve dipped in every major rebounding category from last year despite having largely the same personnel.
Furthermore, UNC is not using their strong three-point shooting. Cameron Johnson, Coby White, and Leaky Black are all shooting at least 41.9 percent from deep and both Luke Maye and Kenny Williams (both of whom have been cold to this point) made over 40 percent a year ago. That’s five legitimate three-point threats yet they’re only shooting 32.3 percent of their shots from beyond the arc – a mark that ranks 311th in the country.
Williams loves to play fast and dominate inside, but he’d be smarter to focus UNC’s attack on the perimeter, where they have elite athletes and three-point marksmen.
North Carolina’s other big weaknesses have been their defense on the perimeter and in the pick-and-roll, both of which could be improved upon with smaller lineups that allow for more switching.
Williams will make changes for this game – what does he plan to do to get them out of their funk?