UNC's Lackluster Defense a Liability Ahead of Showdown with Maryland

Last week North Carolina ran into a freshman who had shot the ball pretty abysmally until he faced UNC, and then he turned into the second coming of Stephen Curry.

That guard was Kansas State's Kamau Stokes, who entered the CBE Classic championship game 3-of-14 from distance, made six of eight threes against the Heels and returned to mediocrity next time out, making two of seven threes in his next game.

Now, you could chalk this up to some dadgum bad luck, but that'd be ignoring a bigger problem it's about time the Tar Heels face:

This group is frustratingly average on the defensive end.

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"I think (defense) is the final step from separating us from other teams," senior guard Marcus Paige told Bleacher Report after he watched his team rally from down eight points in the final four minutes to beat Kansas State, an NIT team at best if everything breaks right. 

That final step is turning into an elite team. And a showdown with No. 2 Maryland on Tuesday will reveal how North Carolina currently matches up with one of the nation's best. 

The Heels were pretty good last year. Good enough to win 26 games. Good enough to get to the ACC tournament title game. Good enough for a Sweet 16 run. 

What they returned convinced the media and coaches to put them at preseason No. 1. And on paper, it was justified. The pieces were in place. 

Last season, the offense was good enough to finish 10th in adjusted offensive efficiency, per kenpom.com, and it's still cooking this year despite the absence of Paige, which suggests it's only going to get better. 

Defensively, it should be a similar story. Theo Pinson and Justin Jackson are long and quick wings who should be defensive studs. Kennedy Meeks is an immovable force and an ideally built rebounder. Brice Johnson is a pogo stick, able to get off the floor quickly to make anyone think twice at attacking the rim. 

But somehow, the end product is just...kind...of...meh. 

The results aren't terrible. The Heels have allowed 0.95 points per possession, which ranks 63rd nationally, per kenpom.com. That's a fine number if your goal is to just be a nice team that makes the NCAA tournament. 

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But the Heels believe they can be great, like championship great, and no national champion in the last 14 seasons has finished lower than 21st in Ken Pomeroy's adjusted defensive efficiency rankings. 

They may not know the numbers. But go down the line and ask the Heels what they need to get better, and defense is the answer. It's not a lack of self-awareness. 

"We're a great offensive team, but we've got to really get better on defense," Meeks said. "That's what Coach (Roy Williams) emphasizes every day. We focus on defense more than anything."

So what's the issue? 

"I just think it comes down to toughness and effort," Meeks said. 

That's a good place to start, and the Heels showed they can be stingy in short spurts when they finished off K-State with a 17-2 run. Great defensive teams figure out a way to play with that kind of urgency all the time. 

The other issue with UNC's defense thus far has been containing penetrators off the dribble. 

The starting point guards of UNC's last three opponents (Northern Iowa, Northwestern and K-State) have averaged 19.7 points and 6.3 assists. UNI's Wes Washpun, the best creator off the dribble of the group, torched the Heels for 21 points, and eight of his baskets were layups or dunks. 

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That's troubling with North Carolina facing Maryland's Melo Trimble on Tuesday. Trimble is arguably the toughest player in the country to contain off the bounce. 

But that's where the return of Paige should help. (Paige told B/R last week that he thinks he'll play.) Paige is a better defender than his replacement, Joel Berry, and Paige is also expecting to be quicker than he was last season. His ankle and foot injuries last year made it difficult for him to slide his feet. 

"It's hard to really put a lot of force on that foot when you're tender and cautious about your movements," Paige said. 

So Tuesday is the first chance to show this team is ready to take the next step. No more reason to make excuses. Paige is back and faster. The pieces are there. 

If the Heels want to legitimize their preseason ranking, defense is the only way. 

C.J. Moore covers college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @CJMooreBR.