UNC basketball to take on No. 2 Syracuse

North Carolina’s record to date is inexplicable.

A basketball team that’s put together a perfect 3-0 record against top-10 teams and gone 7-5 against the rest? It just doesn’t make sense.

Today, the Tar Heels will again face a top-tier opponent in No. 2 Syracuse — a team that received five top place votes in this week’s AP poll.

And even armed with a pristine record against top talent, coach Roy Williams isn’t any more comfortable entering UNC’s date with Syracuse.

“I can’t speak for 18-, 19-, 20-year-olds but it’s certainly not a comfort level for the 63-year-old,” he said Friday. “Who knows what goes on in their mind. I think this is a different team. They do play zone. Michigan State, Louisville and Kentucky, I thought when we played them those were really good teams.

“We caught them on a night when they didn’t play as well and we played very well. I would hope that would happen again.”

As of Friday night, UNC enters the game a seven-point underdog to an undefeated Syracuse team renowned for its formidable 2-3 zone

The Tar Heels struggled against Miami’s zone in the 63-57 loss Wednesday night. Sophomore leading scorer Marcus Paige was held to his second eight-point performance of the season, matching his season-low scoring output. The ability of the zone defense to neutralize Paige creates the need for another high scorer, but Williams isn’t quite sure who that will be.

“Anybody that makes it,” he said. “I don’t say you’ve got to make shots or you’ve got to make shots. It’s not just make outside shots. We’ve got to get guys to put the ball in the basket a little bit more so the defense can’t be aimed just at Marcus.”

Sophomore J.P. Tokoto said Friday the team was likely studying film later that day of Syracuse’s zone defense and the majority of Thursday’s practice was focused on learning the nuances to defensive sets

“(Thursday) practice was more of just working in the zone, finding it’s weak spots, it’s weak points, just getting used to playing against it. It’s not our first time playing against zone, so it’s not going to be a surprise to us but it is going to be our first time seeing that length.”

Miami’s zone defense Wednesday shut down the Tar Heels from long range, forcing UNC to miss 16 of 21 3-pointers.

Tokoto said the team specifically needs to improve on its movement to expose the weaknesses in the zone.

“I know for myself I was kind of stagnant at points during the game and there’s things looking at film i could have done instead of staying stagnant, moving around the perimeter,” he said.

The Tar Heels haven’t dropped to 0-3 in the ACC since the 1996-97 season, and are looking to rebound from two disconnected performances against weaker conference programs.

The consecutive losses to Wake Forest and Miami only added another layer of confusion to UNC’s unpredictable season and only added to the dark cloud above the Smith Center — one the program would like to shoo away with another statement win.

“You guys know it hasn’t been the most pleasant time period in my life the last seven or eight months,” Williams said. “Our kids are feeling a lot of stress. Around here if you lose a couple of games people think you jump off the top of the building kind of thing. It was a low point, there’s no question about that.”