UNC Basketball: Reactions and takeaways from road win at NC State

Offensive Shift

The Heels struggling getting out in transition which has been a staple of most North Carolina teams. UNC has also shot horribly from three-point range ranking 311th in percentage at 30.2% per game.

As a result, they have had their lowest offensive output under Roy Williams and are in danger of having their lowest field goal percentage since the 1950s while sitting at 294th in the country. Any time you’re breaking records for inefficiency that have been around for almost seventy years, well, that’s not really that great.

A lot of these struggles are due to the lack of consistent guard play, especially at the point guard position. Injuries have been the main culprit for this but up and downplay was a problem even before all the Heels started sitting on the bench in street clothes.

Due to these struggles, UNC might consider becoming a grind ’em out, run clock and pound it inside almost exclusively kind of team. Roy has always liked the high/low and inside out actions and with Garrison Brooks and Armando Bacot being the best and healthiest offensive weapons on the team, he may want to post, repost, and post again to take advantage of his greatest strength.

UNC lacks the wing athletes they have traditionally relied on to score those fast-break baskets and hit threes in recent years. Although they scored over ninety against Miami, that was more the exception than the rule this season. With their current healthy personnel, the Heels should slow games down, send it inside every time down on offense and make a concerted effort on the defensive end of the floor to limit possessions.

Roy Williams has shown a willingness to learn from the great defensive teachers in the game today through his observations and consultations with Chris Beard of Texas Tech. He needs to fully apply what he learned to exploit the skills and advantages that this team on January 28 possesses.