Busting Brackets
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North Carolina Basketball: 3 keys for the Tar Heels against Harvard

By Jason Burgess

CHAPEL HILL, NC - DECEMBER 29: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts against the Davidson Wildcats in the first half at Dean Smith Center on December 29, 2018 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - DECEMBER 29: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts against the Davidson Wildcats in the first half at Dean Smith Center on December 29, 2018 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 22: Luke Maye #32 of the North Carolina Tar Heels and Dylan Osetkowski #21 of the Texas Longhorns battle for rebounding position during the 2018 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on November 22, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Texas defeated North Carolina 92-89. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 22: Luke Maye #32 of the North Carolina Tar Heels and Dylan Osetkowski #21 of the Texas Longhorns battle for rebounding position during the 2018 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on November 22, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Texas defeated North Carolina 92-89. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images) /

1. The Tar Heels should have an advantage on the boards

As is often the case when a high-major team faces a team from the mid-major level, there is a big physical advantage that the high-major squad can take advantage. One of those advantages should come in the rebounding department for North Carolina.

Despite having four players that average at least 15 minutes per game being 6-7 or taller, the Crimson pull down only 35.1 rebounds per game and their 26.1 defensive boards per game is mid-pack nationally, while the offensive glass even more of a struggle, grabbing just nine per contest. Looking closer at Harvard’s rebounding numbers show that none of those 6-7 or taller players lead the team in that category, the leader is 6-5 junior guard Justin Bassey who snatches 6.7 per game, no other player grabs more than 4.5.

On the flip side, the Tar Heels are 4th in the country in rebounds per game and are equally as good on the offensive glass as they are on the defensive end. Their 30.45 defensive rebounds are 12th best, while the 13.64 they grab on offense ranks them 23rd. Maye leads them overall with 10.1 per game, but what makes UNC different is that Garrison Brooks and Nassir Little grab nearly as many offensive rebounds as they do on the defensive end.

Illustrating the advantage should have on the boards, let’s look at the team’s second-best rebounders, forward Henry Welsh for Harvard who has grabbed 34 defensive rebounds this season and Brooks for UNC who has grabbed nearly that many offensive rebounds, with 31.

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