NCAA Basketball: Buy or Sell preseason top 25 teams of 2021-22 after a month
19. North Carolina Tar Heels
First-year head coach Hubert Davis was tasked with revamping the Tar Heels offense to fit the modern-day game. And thanks to frontcourt transfers Brady Manek and Dawson Garcia, the team was set to have a big year offensively. And they’ve done that to this point, averaging over 81 ppg and ranking in the top 10 nationally in three-point shooting at over 41%.
Not only are those two bigs and Armando Bacot all averaging in double figures, but sophomore guards Caleb Love (16.9 ppg and 3.9 apg), and RJ Davis (13.9 ppg and 3.3 apg) have both taken the next step in their respective development and given UNC one of the best offensive lineups in NCAA Basketball.
The first noticeable difference for North Carolina defensively versus Michigan was energy and effort. R.J. Davis & Caleb Love are incredibly active here blowing up handoffs and overplaying and icing ball-screens. @HeelIllustrated pic.twitter.com/lCL5O7g6ms
— David Sisk (@CoachDavidSisk) December 4, 2021
The problem has been on the defensive end so far. In losses to Purdue and Tennessee in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic, the Tar Heels gave up 89 and 93 points respectively. The more concerning games were close wins over College of Charleston and Brown, giving up over 83 points each there.
The good news is that there must have been a change of mentality, as North Carolina has only given up 57.3 ppg in the past four wins, including an impressive 51 points in the big win over Michigan in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. If the defense continues to do well while the shooting remains top-tier, the Tar Heels will be in the mix to do some damage in March.