Although there were high expectations for UNC — who ranked No. 9 in the pre-season — the Tar Heels have failed to meet them.
North Carolina is 1-4 against ranked opponents this season. While it seemed like the Tar Heels were figuring things out during a four-game winning streak, UNC suffered its only Quad 2 defeat of the season against Stanford in a one-point loss — which at the time was a Quad 3 loss. And in February, the Tar Heels will be tested again against the No. 2 team in the nation. But this time, it's not just a ranked opponent on the court — it's UNC's biggest rival, Duke.
And this year the Tobacco Road rivalry has more at stake than just crowning the “better blue.” UNC could be on the bubble of NCAA tournament selection.
So before facing the toughest ACC test of the year, let's look at how UNC has fared this season.
Offense: B
The offense struggled to find a consistent rhythm at the start of the season but has found its tempo more recently. UNC is ranked No. 29 in the nation, averaging 82.5 points per game.
Graduate guard RJ Davis has been a key player throughout his five years at UNC, but he's been underperforming during his final season. Despite averaging around 17 points per game, he hasn't been playing at the same caliber as previous seasons. He recorded a season-low seven points against California in January. Compared to last season, his 3-point percentage is down by over 10 percent, and he's averaging almost four less points per game.
This has allowed first-year guard Ian Jackson to step up.