ACC Basketball: 2020-21 power rankings after non-conference play

To the Tar Heels credit, they’ve had arguably the second toughest non-conference schedule outside of Boston College in the ACC. They got wins over Stanford and Kentucky, while falling to Texas and NC State in close matchups. But that loss to the Wolfpack was troubling, considering that they were missing two key players yet still had enough to beat the Tar Heels.

At 5-3 overall and with a loss in ACC play, there are two ways to judge this current team. You can compare them to the disaster that was last season, or to the traditional Tar Heel standards. They certainly are much better than a year ago but still has glaring issues on the perimeter. Five-star point guard Caleb Love is averaging 11.1 ppg and is shooting just 12% from three-point range. Fellow freshman RJ Davis has been better in my opinion and is the lone player on the roster that can shoot from deep.

The frontcourt has been collectively solid, led by sophomore Armando Bacot. He’s leading the team with 12.0 ppg and 8.4 rpg and having a breakout campaign. Bacot has passed up Garrison Brooks as the lead big man, although the senior is playing fine in his own right. Day’Ron Sharpe has looked like the best NBA Draft prospect coming off the bench also.

North Carolina has the potential to win the ACC but they’re literally one of the worst teams in the country at the three-point line. Unless someone other than Davis steps up in that department, the Tar Heels will be much easier to scout and the conference has the frontcourt bodies to matchup up with them inside. They’re looking like a tournament team now but have much to improve on before thinking they can make a run.