UNC Basketball: Tar Heels Cruise to Fourth Straight Conference Win

Playing their third game in six days, the Heels seemed to be feeling the fatigue in this tough part of their schedule. Entering the game leading the nation in scoring with 84.9 points per game, the Heels had trouble finding their shots from the field.

Luckily, the powerhouse Heels were playing Wake Forest, who after their 11-point loss now falls to .500 on the season and 2-6 in conference play. By picking up this win, No. 5-ranked North Carolina improved their record to 19-3 overall with a 6-1 conference record, moving them into first momentarily. They also picked up their 600th win all-time in ACC play. 

With three tough games coming up against Maryland, Duke and Virginia, UNC performed well enough these past three games to show that they are still the team everyone thought they would be.

With that, they proved that they are also the team to beat in the ACC. In the hardships they are facing with the loss of Dexter Strickland, the team has proven that they can stick together and still come out and compete—and win—on a nightly basis.

The team has also picked up their intensity at times, which is something that has been lacking all season long and something that they will desperately need through the remainder of the season. 

Though Wake Forest isn't exactly a good team (to put it nicely), there are a lot of positives to be taken out of this game. 

One thing that stood out to me was the amount of points they put up. Despite shooting only 31 percent from the field, the team managed to put up 68 points for the game, with only six players scoring. That many points on an off night, on the road, is a testament to just how good this team can be.

Imagine if they had have been on tonight; things could have gotten ugly. People tend to see Wake Forest as the opponent and assume it should be a blowout, but this is Division 1 college basketball. There aren't too many cupcakes in the major conferences, so you have to fight every game. 

Another thing would be the continuation of Tyler Zeller's dominance. Lately, you hear all about how good Mason Plumlee is and how he's becoming one of the best big men in college hoops. People tend to forget about the seven footer the Heels have down low.

After setting a career high in rebounds(17) against NC State two games ago, what does Z come out and do this game? He one-ups himself by grabbing 18 boards to accompany his 18 points. That's good enough for his 11th double-double on the season, and his fifth in the last six games.

I'd say around this time next Wednesday night, we won't be hearing too much about the big guy from Duke if Zeller keeps playing at this level. 

Kendall Marshall has also stepped his game up, if that was even possible. Tonight, besides getting a mediocre(for him) six assists, he decided that he'd show off his shooting skills by going for 14 points on 45 percent shooting.

With back up PG Stilman White out with food poisoning, Marshall answered the call and came up big for his team. That's just the kind of leadership the Tar Heel faithful love to see, not to mention his continued shooting improvement is good enough to bring back hope of hanging another banner in the Dean Dome. 

Along with his shooting, the overall effort on the defensive end has stepped up as well. Not just from Marshall, but from everyone. Besides Zeller and Henson continuing to dominate the boards, Barnes, Marshall and Bullock have stepped up their on the ball defending as well.

The big concern when Strickland was declared out for the season was the fact that he was the Heel's best on-ball defender. Reggie Bullock has stepped up in a huge way and put the worry behind for now.

In his three games as a starter, he has continually impressed and improved on the defensive end. His offensive game struggled tonight, but as a jump shooter, he can tend to be streaky like most. Tonight he was off, but the numbers will average themselves out over the next few games as he helps lead his team to three more victories. 

Overall, North Carolina has looked very impressive. Not just tonight, but since their last loss at the hands of Florida State.

The team has responded to all of the criticism and adversity they have faced on and off the court in a big way, and have truly shown what they are made of.

Though they sometimes can lack the leadership and the will to win, the team has pushed past their flaws and have really come together as a group. With the chemistry they are displaying now on a night to night basis, this could be one dangerous team to be playing against. 

All stats are from ESPN.com .