Ever since UNC was able to stifle Louisville's three-point barrage offense, the Tar Heels have looked like a completely different team on the defensive end. They have been able to use their relenting defense to withstand their offensive droughts over the last few games, holding on and securing big ACC victories.
To many people's surprise, the Tar Heels have been able to continue their relentless ball pressure, which they had started to apply consistently in their game against Syracuse.
Aggressive guard play
Guards like Luka Bogavac, Kyan Evans, and Derek Dixon have been able to pressure the opposing teams' guards full-court and speed them up enough to mitigate most of their defensive weaknesses. They have been forcing their guards to drive in and take contested layups over the UNC's bigs, which results in blocked shots or bad misses.
Extra effort on switches
Everyone has been making an effort to prevent opposing teams from finding mismatches and exploiting favorable matchups. They have been a collective unit, showing extra effort on switches and making sure they rotate smoothly while still maintaining face-guarding pressure so they can't get a quality look from three.
North Carolina was able to successfully keep Louisville's high-powered offense in check by holding them to under 40% from the field. Seth Trimble completely shut down Mikel Brown Jr. in the second half, holding the freshman star to 11 points and 4-12 from the field. Both Brown Jr. and Conwell had to scratch and claw for every basket they got for most of the second half.
Last night against a tough Clemson team, UNC's defense stiffened when it mattered most down the stretch, limiting Clemson's scoring in key possessions late and making crucial stops as the Tigers tried to battle back. UNC was able to have better shot contests and force them into taking difficult shot attempts, effectively closing out possessions to secure the win.
Zayden High's impact
The emergence of Zayden High gives the Tar Heels much-needed front-court support when Henri Veesaar goes to the bench; his ability to contest shots and secure defensive rebounds will be huge for North Carolina down the stretch. He brings so much energy and aggressiveness on that end of the floor; I'm sure it's infectious and will carry over to the entire team.
Ability to stay consistent
After multiple games now, where the Tar Heels have brought the intensity and aggressiveness on the defensive end, they can't afford to let this momentum and success falter. They had a rocky showing against Virginia Tech, where the offense had to outscore them to win. They can't afford to have one of those performances this Saturday as they head into Cameron Indoor Stadium to take on the number one team in the nation, the Duke Blue Devils. If they can speed Duke's guards up and prevent them from settling in and getting comfortable facilitating the offense, the Tar Heels could get out and transition, putting game pressure on the Blue Devils early?