UNC Basketball: 5 Eye-Popping Stats from Tar Heels in 2015-16

North Carolina is once again among the best in college basketball with a complete team that is dominating on the court and the stat sheet.

The Tar Heels completed an impressive week with a dominant 98-65 win over Davidson. This came after defeating No. 2 Maryland in an exciting battle as part of the Big Ten-ACC Challenge. While there were some question marks earlier in the year, the team is now in a groove and will clearly be tough to beat going forward.

Not only has North Carolina passed the eye test with its play, the team has also excelled with some impressive stats to showcase the dominance. On the other hand, there are also a few questionable characteristics of this group that might be concerning based on the numbers.

Statistics don't tell you everything, but here is a look at some of the more noteworthy numbers from the Tar Heels' first eight games.

Opponent Record in Last 4 Games: 25-4

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Like many teams, North Carolina had a relatively easy start to the year before things got much tougher. While the loss to Northern Iowa was certainly disappointing, it might have been an important wake-up call because the opponents since that point have been no joke.

The Tar Heels have four wins in a row over Northwestern, Kansas State, Maryland and Davidson, four teams with a combined 25-4 record. Those include the games against UNC, meaning all four teams are undefeated with the exception of losses to this squad.

While Maryland certainly stands out among this group as the preseason No. 3 team in the nation and a legitimate Final Four contender, none of these opponents are cupcakes. The Tar Heels have worked hard to recover from an early slip-up and have beaten some good teams, something that will help confidence going forward as well as the RPI.

Although Texas (4-3) and UCLA (6-3) don't have quite the same record, those upcoming battles will be serious challenges for North Carolina, and the team better make sure it is prepared.

Defensive Rebounding Rate: 78.6 Percent

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This shouldn't be too surprising considering the talent the Tar Heels have in the frontcourt. Brice Johnson, Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks all have plenty of ability and will likely put up big numbers throughout the year.

While offensive rebounding requires athleticism and a quality motor, defensive rebounding requires discipline, something that has eluded this team in recent years.

According to KenPom.com, North Carolina has ranked outside the top 150 programs in the country in each of the last three seasons when it comes to defensive rebounding rate. This year, the squad ranks eighth, allowing opponents to bring in just 21.4 percent of missed shots.

Although the defense has certainly had its troubles this year, limiting teams to just one shot each possession is a great way to keep points off the board. This will be especially important against the elite opponents UNC will face in the ACC.

If this group can consistently dominate the battle on the glass, it will win a lot of games this year.

Opponent 3-Point Shooting: 37.1 Percent

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This trend certainly slowed a bit with Davidson's shooting struggles, but North Carolina has still allowed a lot of three-pointers this season.

After the Wildcats were limited to just 8-of-31 from three-point range Sunday (including 3-of-11 from the normally reliable Jack Gibbs), opponents are shooting 37.1 percent from beyond the arc against UNC this season. This at least looks much better than the 39.1 percent allowed coming into the weekend.

Much of the problem has been a lack of focus on defense, including poor hedges on screens and slow rotations. This has left plenty of open shooters in seemingly every game.

Northern Iowa took advantage of the opportunity with 39.3 percent shooting in its upset win earlier in the season. Even Northwestern (45 percent) and Kansas State (50 percent) were able to keep games close with outside shooting.

The performance against a quality offensive team like Davidson is encouraging, but this must continue for the team to keep winning.

Brice Johnson Double-Doubles: 5

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As previously noted, North Carolina has done a great job on the boards on both ends of the court, but Brice Johnson has especially excelled this year.

The senior has taken his game to the next level, totaling five double-doubles in the first eight games. He has also scored at least 10 points in every contest. After consistency was a major problem for the forward a year ago, he seems to have realized his importance on the team.

Last season, Johnson finished with eight double-doubles, with North Carolina going 7-1 in those contests. The only loss came in overtime against eventual national champion Duke. In many cases, when he plays well, so does the team.

Johnson now has to keep up this consistent effort both as a scorer and rebounder throughout the year.

PPG with Marcus Paige: 93.5

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It's obviously only been two games with Marcus Paige, and that is an extremely small sample size, but there is no denying North Carolina looks much better with the point guard in the lineup.

The Tar Heels averaged a respectable 81.3 points in six games before Paige returned from his wrist injury. In two games against Maryland and Davidson, the team is scoring 93.5 points per game.

Paige is spreading the ball around and has nine assists with just two turnovers in his two games. Joel Berry played decently in the starter's absence, but Paige does a better job of getting everyone involved and putting the team in a position to succeed.

Of course, the senior is at his best when he calls his own number. Paige has been fantastic at creating his own shot and either drilling it from deep or finding space in the lane. After dealing with injuries over the past year and a half, he finally looks healthy and now could be one of the best players in the nation.

If he can keep this up, North Carolina could be unstoppable for the remainder of the season.

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