Virginia Basketball: 3 takeaways from a disappointing home loss to North Carolina

1. Offensive Struggles

The inefficiency on offense has been Virginia's biggest weakness throughout this season. However, it has become even more concerning over the past three games, as the Cavs have failed to score above 50 points in any of those games, and have averaged just 44 points per game during that stretch.

While there are many issues across the board, the Hoos' three-point shooting has become the biggest problem in the past few games. Over the past three games, Virginia is shooting 8 for 39 (20.5%) from beyond the arc, with yesterday's output being the worst one yet as Virginia shot just 2 for 14 (14.3%) from the three point line. However, this has not been the case throughout the entirety of this season, as there have been several ACC games (including Florida State, Notre Dame, and Syracuse) where the Cavs were red hot from the three-point line. In addition, Isaac McKneely is shooting 45% from beyond the arc, a mark which is one of the highest in the entire county. This team is just two weeks removed from the aforementioned Florida State game that saw the Cavs score 80 points - including 28 points from McKneely, to extend their winning streak to eight games.

However, the wheels have fallen off since that victory over Florida State two weeks ago, and the 'Hoos have been ice cold from the three point line ever since - with things seemingly becoming more and more problematic with every passing game. With arguably the most important three game stretch of the season beginning in Chestnut Hill Wednesday night, time is not on Virginia's side when it comes to correcting these issues.

While there were plenty of issues on the offensive end, there were two bright spots - Jordan Minor and offensive rebounding. The Cavs outrebounded the Tar Heels when it came to second-chance opportunities, pulling down 11 offensive boards. Of those 11 rebounds, Jordan Minor pulled down 6 of them and was able to convert on several of those second-chance opportunities. Furthermore, minor had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while outscoring Tar Heels big man (and player of the year candidate) Armando Bacot. While there were plenty of issues surrounding the offense Saturday, Jordan Minor was not one of those issues and instead proved to be a bright spot.

That being said, not all hope is lost, as this team has proven at various times this year that they are capable of putting the ball in the basket in a rather efficient manner and can beat some of the top teams in the conference at home or on the road.