Introducing UNC's "death lineup"

This is not your typical North Carolina men’s basketball team.

In past seasons, UNC has won by using two bruising big men to anchor a talented backcourt. In the system, sometimes the best pass was a shot, with a Tar Heel big ready to swallow up a missed shot from a teammate and turn it into an easy two points.

This year is different. With just one returning big man on the roster, the Tar Heels’ perimeter play has dictated the team’s success. The two games that UNC has lost this season were a product of horrendous outside shooting. Against Michigan State, the team shot 1-18 from beyond the arc. In an unprecedented home loss against Wofford it was almost as bad, shooting just 7-25 from three. 

However, when the team has shot well from outside, there has been success. The Tar Heels shoot 39.6 percent from three as a team. It is the program’s best mark since the 2004-05 season, when the squad shot 40.3 percent and won the national championship, thanks to an abundance of 3-point threats.

With graduate transfer Cam Johnson having made his way into the lineup the last two games after missing the first 11 contests, it creates an even more potent outside attack. The attack has led UNC to playing a ‘death lineup’ with forward Luke Maye playing the five, Johnson or Theo Pinson at the four, and Kenny Williams and Joel Berry II playing the two guard positions. 

It isn't a lineup head coach Roy Williams is necessarily comfortable utilizing, but it worked well against Ohio State, as UNC cruised to an 86-72 victory with the five aforementioned players combining for 64 of the 86 points.

“I think the main concerns are interior defense and rebounding,” Johnson said of the lineup. “I think that’s one thing he emphasizes. If we want to play this lineup, we have to rebound and defend on the inside. As time goes on, maybe we will have more opportunities to prove we can defend the interior."

While it is a small sample size, UNC’s rebounding was not an issue against the Buckeyes as the Tar Heels posted a plus-14 margin on the glass. 

The key to the lineup working effectively is Maye’s ability to rebound the basketball and keep bigger opponents at bay.

“I really feel like all my life I have played as the biggest guy on the floor, and, coming here, I’m a little bit undersized,” Maye said. “I feel like I’m prepared for it, I just have to continue to work on being able to guard bigger guys in the post."

The next test will come on Saturday as UNC faces Wake Forest in its ACC opener. It is UNC’s first game at home since the disappointing loss to Wofford, which dropped the team to a No. 13 ranking in this week's AP poll. 

Against a struggling 7-5 squad, the Tar Heels will look to go back to basics, even while using the death lineup.

“I still want to be balanced” Williams said. “I still believe at the bottom of my soul the most important thing is getting the ball inside, and you’re going to get fouls on the other team."

The ACC opener will be an important contest in determining that balance and creating a well-rounded attack to compete in a highly competitive conference this season.

@christrenkle2

sports@dailytarheel.com