UNC Basketball: 5 Most Important Games Remaining for Tar Heels

Through mid-December, North Carolina sits with three losses versus out-of-conference opponents. It was predicted that this team would lose as many as four games prior to ACC play. No matter how bold that seemed at the time, a current 6-3 record is no reason to lose our heads.

With four more contests still to go before conference play commences, it also seems a bit early to try to tabulate which remaining contests are the most important for this team.

Carolina will face another nice test out of conference against Ohio State on Saturday after a solid showing against Kentucky, regardless of what the final score indicated (UK may never shoot 7-of-15 from three again this season).

But the most important tests will come after the new year, when ACC opponents come to Chapel Hill and North Carolina is forced to do battle with the foes that know it best.

The five most important games remaining for this club start right there, at the first conference fight of the 2014-15 season.

at Clemson 1/3/15

It's fortunate that this is Carolina's first ACC game. Otherwise, Clemson may have sneaked up on the Tar Heels and scrambled away with a victory. Now though, UNC will be ready for the game and ready to make its mark on the expansive new conference.

Prior to the year, Clemson was picked to finish near the bottom of the conference in the ACC preseason poll. With a recent win over Arkansas in which all Razorbacks not named Bobby Portis finished with 47 total points and shot 39 percent, it may be safe to say Clemson has a higher ceiling than many projected.

It would be especially demoralizing for UNC to lose this one considering the pair of ranked foes that immediately follow it.

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vs. Syracuse 1/26/15

There are a few things we already know about this game even though it sits more than a month away.

Syracuse will be playing a 2-3 zone defense during the game.

North Carolina will struggle to make outside shots during the game.

While the Orange are down this season, they can still play to Carolina's weaknesses. With ball hawks all over the court, especially freshman power forward Chris McCullough, he of two-plus blocks and two-plus steals per game, Syracuse takes its toll on opposing offenses.

This game will be tough for UNC, perhaps even tougher than Louisville's pressure the following game. It will be a real litmus test for how North Carolina can prepare and execute against a known quantity on defense that should be able to be game-planned for.

vs. Virginia 2/2/15

This will be North Carolina's only regular-season shot at the defending ACC champs.

It remains to be seen where each team will be in the standings come February, but with UVA's always-suffocating team defense, there is no way this game will be easy, regardless.

Currently 9-0 with the best scoring defense in the country, Virginia just bottled up Maryland and VCU in back-to-back road games after holding Rutgers to a total of 26 points the game prior.

I can't say for sure since I didn't witness the game, but supposedly, Rutgers was on the court for the full 40 minutes in that game and still only scored 26 points.

at Duke 2/18/15

vs. Duke 3/7/15

Pretty self-explanatory. It helps that both teams are good, athletic and talented, with aspirations of a championship. But regardless, when UNC plays Duke, it is always appointment television.