UNC Basketball: 5 Things on Tar Heels' Holiday Wish List

This holiday season appears likely to be a good one for North Carolina and its fans, although there is nothing wrong with people of all ages adding some college-basketball-related wishes to their list this year.

The Tar Heels are back on track with the return of Marcus Paige and once again appear to be the team many thought would be a top contender for a national championship. After an impressive win over Maryland, they kept up the momentum with a dominant performance against a quality opponent in Davidson.

While this has helped North Carolina bounce back up to No. 3 in the AP Top 25 poll, it's important to keep up this level of play for the rest of the year.

Just in case the players and coaches can't do it all themselves, here is a wish list to keep in mind to help the team going forward.

Health and Happiness

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At the holidays, you always want your friends and relatives to remain healthy, and the same can be said about North Carolina basketball.

The Tar Heels have had some bad luck over the past two years when it comes to injuries, including major issues involving Marcus Paige and Theo Pinson as well as minor ailments to other players.

Fortunately, the team is finally healthy and ready to compete at an extremely high level. Paige's presence obviously gives the squad a huge boost on both ends of the floor, while the overall depth is as good as anyone's in the nation.

The key will be for the team to stay that way. Even with as many as 11 players in the rotation, losing any player to injury could be devastating for a squad expecting to win every game.

The Tar Heels need to hope they can stay healthy for the rest of the year and be at full strength heading into March.

Safe Travels

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North Carolina has shown what it can do in Chapel Hill this year and even on neutral courts, but the only opportunity to play in a true road game resulted in a loss to Northern Iowa. This was obviously without the team's best player, but this isn't much of an excuse against a mediocre Panthers team.

UNC will have another tough test when it travels to face Texas on Saturday. North Carolina will find itself facing a talented group of players competing in front of a rabid fanbase that wants to see a major upset.

The Longhorns fans don't even have football to distract them at this point, so the atmosphere should be a good one.

Win or lose, this game will help prepare the Tar Heels for what should be a tough schedule of road games in the ACC. Even with a veteran team, winning at Duke, Virginia, Louisville and other top venues will not be easy.

This upcoming road game will either be a confidence-builder or a wake-up call for a top squad.

Inner Strength

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Not every gift is external. Sometimes what you need comes from within. Something North Carolina will need going forward is strength, especially in the interior.

The Tar Heels have one of the most talented frontcourts in the nation with Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks leading the way while Isaiah Hicks and Joel James provide good minutes off the bench. The matchup against Maryland showed that this group can handle anyone in the nation.

Of course, it isn't just talent that wins in the post. Kentucky has one of the top frontcourt prospects in the country in Skal Labissiere, but he and others were bullied by UCLA in an upset for the Bruins.

With North Carolina now having to face players like Tony Parker and Thomas Welsh, this could be a serious challenge.

Over the next few weeks, UNC will have a number of tough matchups in the post with Texas, Clemson and Florida State all featuring great size inside. Johnson, Meeks and company will have to come through with big games in order to escape with wins.

Youthful Energy

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Seniors Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson might be North Carolina's two best players, or at least the most consistent. These players will be a big part of the team's success this year, although the Tar Heels will likely go as far as the sophomores are able to take them.

Justin Jackson, Theo Pinson and Joel Berry have all come through in big moments this year and individually shown tons of upside.

After a slow start, Jackson has become a go-to scorer and is averaging 18.4 points over his last five games. Berry has regained his shooting touch and is doing a good job of facilitating whether Paige is in the lineup or not. Pinson has done a great job of filling up the box score while also playing solid defense and making open shots.

The key is for this talented trio to continue to consistently produce at a high level for the rest of the season. This would help turn the Tar Heels from a good team into a great one.

While the upperclassmen can do a lot on their own, it will be the younger players who really decide the outcome this season.

Good Fortune (from the Rims)

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Sometimes college basketball comes down to little more than just luck. A shot that bounces in or out off the rim can be the difference between a win or loss, so good fortune would definitely be useful.

So far this season, the Tar Heels have done their part as far as making shots, but their perimeter defense has been bad and opponents haven't missed too many open looks. Opposing teams are currently shooting 37.1 percent from three-point range this season, good for 269th in the nation, per KenPom.com.

UNC was able to limit Davidson to just 8-of-31 from behind the arc, although it remains to be seen if this is a trend or a fluke. In any case, the squad definitely has to play better defensively—including harder hedges and quicker rotations—in order to slow down the barrage of three-point shooting.

With that said, some luck when it comes to balls missing the net wouldn't be too bad for this team.

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