Go small or go home

UNC coach Roy Williams purposely shaved four inches off his center in recent games with the Tar Heels improving to 19-8 as a result.

Adopting a four guard lineup for their last four outings has seen them win three and lose just one. That loss came against fierce rivals Duke University and UNC showed much more fight on the road than they have of late, against a side rated in the top four in the NCAA right now.

On the road is where UNC need to improve, with a visitors record of one game under .500 as they prepare for the trip to Clemson this Thursday.

The new UNC philosophy is high risk for high reward. They’ve cashed in Desmond Hubert for the 6’5″ PJ Hairston who offers them a lot more on the offensive end. Hairston has averaged 18 points per game since being drafted in to the starting five. But what Hairston gives them offensively is a straight trade for what Hubert gave them defensively, and what is an inexperienced UNC outfit are going to have to continue to work really hard for each other in the backcourt for anything they earn.

The NCAA has seen a revolving door at number one this season with no one dominant university. The most recent USA Today coaches poll this week again saw a lot of movement with the previously second placed Miami dropping to seventh and Duke moving from sixth to third. There was stability at #1 though for the fourth straight week as Indiana maintained that status with a win over fourth placed Michigan taking them to 24-3 for the year.

The Tar Heels are back in the conversation albeit outside the coaches top 25, but they have a very winnable next three games including the trip to Clemson and a road game at Maryland. They welcome Florida State to the Dean Smith Center for the third of those potential W’s and wrap things up with a big test of their tourney credentials as they welcome Duke to their home court.