After Dominating the ACC, Can UNC Bring Home the National Glory This Season?

The 2023-24 edition of the NCAA tournament has several teams surfacing themselves as worthy title contenders. The initial months saw so many fierce competitors throwing their hats in order to be called favorites for national championships. Amidst this dogfight, one such group of players who have earned this recognition is the lot representing UNC.

This University of North Carolina’s tough and gritty squad has won the admiration of numerous experts and analysts with their tremendous basketball. Moreover, the fans are also thrilled to witness them putting on quite a show with their quality. Consequently, this confident team could be well on its way to reaching national glory this year.

What makes UNC a formidable team?

After their disappointing campaign last time around, the majority of the NCAA fans counted them out of the title race before the start of the season. However, they turned things around rather quickly and are currently sitting top of the table in ACC. The Tar Heels have come out victorious in 11 out of their 14 games including their three impressive wins in conference play. The guarding and rebounding that this team has exhibited has caused some serious problems for their opponents.

Secondly, UNC has displayed terrific maturity as a team. No player in the locker room is greedy to steal the spotlight. They look forward to executing the plans and strategies collectively as a team. Another valid reason behind their turnaround is the clicking chemistry and the perfect combination the team has. Each player when he steps onto the hardwood knows his duties and also manages to complement his teammate as well.

As a result, their efforts have started reflecting in their numbers this season.

What does the statistics suggest?

UNC has made significant improvements to their offensive front play this season. They have scored 1170 points at an average of 83.6 per game which currently places them at the 31st position. Apparently, this is 7.4% more than what they managed to achieve last year. Moreover, their accuracy from beyond the arc also saw a rise. They are scoring at a success rate of 36.2 as compared to last season’s 31.2 from the 3-point range. Also, we can see a marginal increase of 2.2% in the field goal percentage column.

Moving on to the defensive end, the Tar Heels are currently placed in the 71st position when it comes to grabbing rebounds. They are currently averaging 39.8 rebounds per game. Additionally, they have also improved their numbers in terms of steals and blocks. Currently, they can easily get 5.9 steals and 4.8 blocks per game whereas last season it didn’t go past the 5.4 and 3.9 mark.

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Consequently, there are a handful of players who’s contributions can’t be ignored.

Top performers for the Tar Heels

The departure of Caleb Love from the team has somewhat been a blessing in disguise for the Tar Heels. In his absence, the No. 4 RJ  Davis has stepped up and delivered. The 6 ft guard managed to cast himself out of Love’s shadow in his senior campaign and thus became the go-to man for UNC. In the 14 games he played so far, he has scored an astonishing 288 points while maintaining an average of 20.6 per game. In addition to this, he leads the assists chart of the team for the second season in a row collecting 50 assists so far.

Another player who made an impact for them this season is their 23-year-old power forward Armando Bacot. The Third-team All-American is the team’s leader in rebounds. He has snatched a whopping 156 rebounds at an average of 11.1 per game. Further, he is the only UNC player to have a double-double average in terms of points and rebounds. He scores at an average of 14.9 per game. Meanwhile, their latest recruit Harrison Ingram also gets his due credit. The towering Pac-12 Freshman of the Year has made valuable contributions notching a healthy average of 13.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

Also, there is no denying that their head coach has also been instrumental in their resurgence.

What has been Hubert Davis’ role in UNC’s success?

Head coach Hubert Davis has had a roller-coaster first couple of seasons with the Tar Heels. After UNC’s dismal show in his previous campaign, the 53-year-old has turned things around for the Tar Heels with his supervision. He deserves a lot of credit for the way he has mentored and guided this talented group. He has been the driving force behind the team’s ability to bounce back from their previous season’s debacle. There is no doubt that he has what it takes to take UNC to the national championship game once again.

No one can deny the fact that it is fun to watch this UNC team in action. Whether you’re a fan or not, the kind of basketball they are putting on the court will not be disappointing. Further, they seem to have found the right formulae on how to approach their campaign.

Do you think UNC can be national champions this time? Let us know in the comments section.

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