The North Carolina Tar Heels survived a scare in the Round of 64 against Harvard, but they still have a realistic chance to make the Final Four. What does UNC have to do to make it to Indianapolis?
1) Continue To Dominate The Glass
UNC ranks second in the country in rebounding (41.0 per game), and they’re particularly effective on the offensive glass. The Tar Heels rely on their 14 offensive rebounds per game to create extra shots, which are often high-percentage putbacks. Their rebounding prowess limit’s the opposition’s offense while creating more shots for themselves, and advantage they’ve used to be successful this year.
They need those easy points on the inside because of their outside shooting struggles, so if they lose the rebounding battle, they'll probably lose the game.
2) Make Perimeter Shots
Star point guard Marcus Paige and backup guard Nate Britt are the only players that shoot over 33 percent from three-point range, and only six players have made a three all season. UNC has struggled against good teams who can pack the paint and force them to shoot jumpers from the outside, so they’ll have to start hitting shots if they want to make a deep tournament run to the Final Four.
3) Marcus Paige Needs To Be Unstoppable
Paige hasn’t lived up to his first-team Preseason All-American status, but he’s still UNC’s best player and the heart and soul of this team. His play is important for North Carolina’s big men because he’s the only player head coach Roy Williams can rely on to space the floor consistently knock down outside shows (38 percent from three-point range).
His array of offensive skills - both in creating his own shot and creating shots or others - makes UNC's offense particularly hard to guard when he's playing his best, and he needs to do that every game if he wants to carry the Tar Heels through the West Region.
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