NCAA Tournament Schedule 2012: UNC Shouldn't Be Concerned After Ohio Scare

Top seed North Carolina was nearly upset by No. 13 seed Ohio in the Sweet 16 on Friday night, but even though they played poorly, the Tar Heels should not feel concerned about their chances of winning the national title.

The Tar Heels did not play well at all, and some of their best players also struggled, yet they were still able to win because of their tournament experience and depth.

Even though there was a chance that North Carolina could end its season in a nightmarish fashion, they were able to summon the composure and poise needed to pull out the win.

This was quite apparent during the overtime period when the Tar Heels outscored the Bobcats 10-2 in the extra frame.

North Carolina shot terribly from the field throughout the game. They hit just 7-of-22 of their three-point shots and were 14-of-24 from the free-throw line. The fact that the Tar Heels shot so poorly and still won is really impressive. 

Carolina's defense held the Ohio offense to 32 percent shooting from the field, and 37 percent from beyond the arc. The Tar Heels know they can still win when their offense isn't playing well because they can defend.

North Carolina also played this game without starting point guard Kendall Marshall, who is one of the best playmakers in America.

His leadership and control of the offense is very tough to replace, so when he returns to the lineup, there's no chance that the Tar Heels' offense will be as bad as it was on Friday.

With their starting point guard absent and their best player, Harrison Barnes, giving them an awful performance, North Carolina still found a way to win because of their experience and defensive talent.

The Tar Heels have to play better in the Elite Eight to advance to the Final Four, but they shouldn't be concerned over their performance on Friday against a talented Ohio team.

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Nicholas Goss is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report; follow him on Twitter.