UNC Basketball: Biggest Things We've Learned About Tar Heels in 2015-16

North Carolina has mostly lived up to expectations through the first three months of the season, although in that time we have also learned quite a bit at the team and individual level.

The Tar Heels had a few disappointing performances earlier in the year, but they are clearly trending in the right direction with 12 wins in a row, including eight in ACC play. Now the team is back near the top of the polls after an initial drop, just in time for the stretch run. Few can doubt this squad as a realistic national title contender going forward.

Still, there is more than just wins and losses to tell the story to this point of the season. There has been a lot of good and bad to help shape opinions about what to expect going forward.

There are 10 games remaining in the regular season—and hopefully for the Tar Heels, many more in the postseason—but here is a look at what we have already learned heading into February.

UNC Has Most Dangerous Offense in Nation

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There are certainly a number of teams who will argue with this claim and might even have better stats, but no one is tougher to defend than North Carolina.

The Tar Heels rank fourth in the country with 85.8 points per game and are third in offensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com, but perhaps the most impressive aspect is the consistency. The team has been held to fewer than 80 points just four times in 21 games this year, never going below 67 points. Day in and day out this squad is capable of lighting up the scoreboard.

One of the keys has been the balance throughout the roster. All five starters are averaging double-digit points while Isaiah Hicks is right behind them at 9.9 per game. If one player has an off night, the rest of the squad can pick up the slack with strong performances from anywhere on the floor. There is simply no way to stop everyone.

Another strength is the ability to attack the basket. Three-point shooting can be fickle, especially in the NCAA tournament, but UNC gets most of its points inside the arc. This will be much more trustworthy as the year progresses, and teams will have to try extra hard to keep this squad off the scoreboard.

Three-Point Shooting Can't Be Trusted

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As good as the offense has been this year, there is still a major concern when it comes to three-point shooting. 

North Carolina is currently making just 30.8 percent of shots from beyond the arc with only Joel Berry consistently making shots from deep. Things have been even worse in conference play with just 24.3 percent of outside shots going in. This is nothing short of embarrassing.

The team is obviously better driving to the rim, but things can get tougher if opponents don't even respect the outside shot. Eventually UNC will see nothing but bodies in the paint and a tough look at the basket every possession. It's important to at least have a threat of an outside shot to keep the defense honest.

There also could be problems if the Tar Heels are trailing and need to come back in a hurry with three-point attempts. In any situation, the outside shot simply cannot be trusted at the moment.

Defense Can Step Up in Big Moments

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One of the biggest questions for North Carolina coming into the year was whether the defense could catch up to the offense. Everyone knows Roy Williams' teams can score, but it still takes some defense to win a championship.

This question hasn't necessarily been answered with major issues still on the perimeter. Opponents are making 37.2 percent of three-point shots while also getting easy penetration past the guards.

Despite these issues, the Tar Heels have shown the ability to buckle down when it matters. Virginia Tech had a lead against UNC late but finished with just one field goal in the final eight minutes. North Carolina State had nothing outside of one three-pointer in the final four minutes. Syracuse, Georgia Tech and others were also within striking distance but couldn't keep up on the scoreboard in the closing minutes.

While it helps to have an offense that can keep scoring, the defense came through with big stops with the game on the line. This is what championship teams do, and it is a great sign for North Carolina going forward.

Marcus Paige Still Doesn't Look Like Marcus Paige

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Whether or not there are still some lingering injuries, it's clear Marcus Paige still isn't performing to his ability. The senior has taken a back seat to become more of a true point guard this season, improving his assist-to-turnover ratio from past years while doing his best to get everyone involved.

The problem is he barely resembles the person who came into the year as a legitimate National Player of the Year candidate.

Since his sophomore year, Paige has seen his scoring drop from 17.5 points per game to 14.1 and now 12.7. To make matters worse, his shooting has been way off, down to 33.3 percent from three-point range and 41.3 overall. He looked better against Boston College but has still gone just 4-of-30 (13.3 percent) from outside over the last five games.

This team clearly has enough depth to overcome his slide, although it would be nice if Paige could put up big numbers against better opponents coming up on the schedule.

Tar Heels Remain ACC Favorites, but Schedule Gets Tougher

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The ACC was once again expected to be top-heavy this season with North Carolina competing with Duke, Virginia, Louisville and others for conference supremacy. So far only the Tar Heels have held up their end of the bargain.

With an 8-0 record almost halfway through league play, it's clear UNC is the team to beat. The squad has a two-game lead over the next best team, while Virginia and Miami already have three losses. Duke is way down the standings at 4-4 in conference.

While this is enough for fans to feel good heading into February, the problem is the schedule gets much tougher from here. It starts Monday with a road game against an angry Louisville team coming off a bad loss over the weekend. There are also games against Virginia, Miami, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame, and two against Duke.

North Carolina has proven it can take care of business against the bottom and middle of the ACC. Now it has to show it can beat the best the league has to offer in some tough environments. If the team can handle this stretch run, it will prove itself as a legitimate national title contender. 

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