UNC Basketball: Tar Heels' Keys to Peaking Before the Postseason

With two games left before the postseason starts, the North Carolina Tar Heels have plenty of things to work on in order to become a contender as March progresses. 

The Tar Heels will visit Georgia Tech on Tuesday before they wrap up the regular season on Saturday night at home against Duke. 

Below are a few keys for UNC to peak before it enters the ACC and NCAA tournaments over the next few weeks. 

Turn Nate Britt Into a Consistent Player off the Bench 

Since the calendar flipped over to the month of February, Nate Britt has scored a total of 36 points in 123 minutes off the bench. 

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In his last two contests, the sophomore guard has been on the court for a grand total of 13 minutes, in which he has contributed two points. If you go back a little further on his stat sheet, Britt scored just three points in 23 minutes against Georgia Tech on February 21. 

When the postseason rolls around, Britt will be relied on to provide a calming influence in the backcourt when Marcus Paige fails to get going. 

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If the Tar Heels are unable to develop a threat off the pine at the guard position, opposing defenses will thrive against them. 

Luckily for Britt, he does have two games to find a remedy for his recent troubles before the contests become more meaningful. 

Find Consistency in the Frontcourt 

During North Carolina's topsy-turvy conference schedule, the frontcourt trio of Kennedy Meeks, Brice Johnson and Justin Jackson have scored 10 points each in just a few games. 

The last game in which the frontcourt threesome thrived down low was the 89-60 win over Georgia Tech. In the home victory, the three players combined for 45 points and 17 rebounds. 

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When the trio works well together like they did in the recent win over the Yellow Jackets, the Tar Heels have an easier time putting away opponents. 

However, there have been a few games over the past month in which one or more of the three have failed to show up. 

Meeks only scored four points against Miami (FL) on February 28, Jackson made a minimal contribution in the first game against Duke, and Johnson fell into a slump in the loss to NC State. 

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If the three players can total close to a combined 40 points and 20 rebounds during each game in March, the Tar Heels will be in terrific shape to make a deep run. 

Work on Improving Three-Point Shooting

One of the few statistical categories in which the Tar Heels have struggled this season is three-point shooting percentage. 

North Carolina, which ranks first in the nation in assists and second in rebounds, is shooting 33.2 percent from beyond the arc this season. That mark is tied for the 219th-best in Division I. 

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At some point during March, the Tar Heels will be asked to drain a couple of shots from downtown in order to relieve the frontcourt of some pressure. 

If opposing defenses do their homework, they will allow the likes of Paige and Britt to fire from three-point range early in the game due to the lack of success from that part of the court. 

If the North Carolina guards can respond to a challenge like that in a positive fashion, they will have gained an extra asset in their arsenal over the postseason. 

Follow Joe on Twitter @JTansey90. 

All statistics obtained from ESPN.com.