Inside the Numbers for UNC Basketball

The Tar Heels are halfway through their conference schedule as the calendar flips to February.

As North Carolina enters their week-long break, they are exactly halfway through ACC play. At 7-3, they are tied for third in the league and have positioned themselves to have the opportunity for a double-bye in Greensboro.

Hubert Davis is in his second season at the helm and while the nation's preseason No. 1 team has underachieved based on expectations, North Carolina is currently at 15-6 despite many unfortunate breaks.

There are various reasons why the Tar Heels sit unranked, but we will examine important numbers, both on-the-court statistics and other factors, that help answer the why for their results and .714 winning percentage.

Zero (0) Games Played with Full Roster

There's no denying the impact that injuries have had on this North Carolina team. Four members of their rotation have missed a combined 24 games and this has prevented the Tar Heels from being at full strength for any point this season.

In the starting lineup, Armando Bacot missed the ACC opener against Virginia Tech, while Pete Nance missed three games, including the 65-58 loss at Virginia.

Not to be overlooked are the games in which Bacot and Nance left early. Bacot exited less than two minutes into North Carolina's contest against the Cavaliers, while Nance missed the final 38 minutes of action versus Wake Forest.

Bacot was either absent or injured at the end of five of the Tar Heels' six losses. The lone contest in which his injury status did not play an impact was in their road matchup against Pittsburgh.

Forward Jalen Washington missed the season's first 10 games and was unavailable for North Carolina's recent matchup with Boston College.

Puff Johnson, whose North Carolina career has been hindered by injuries, has missed five games this season, including the last two games against NC State and Syracuse.

While injuries impact every team in college basketball at some point throughout the season, the Tar Heels would have benefited from and likely won multiple games with a healthier roster.

31.8 Shooting Percentage from Three-Point Range

Replacing Brady Manek was always going to be difficult for North Carolina, more so for his outside shooting than anything else. 

Although starters in R.J. Davis (38.2%) and Pete Nance (35.5%) along with, in more limited attempts, Puff Johnson (36.8%) and D'Marco Dunn (39.1%) have been major contributors from beyond the arc, the Tar Heels rank 284th in the country and 13th in the ACC in three-point percentage.

Guard Caleb Love, who was an efficient 3-for-5 from beyond the arc on Tuesday, sits at 28 percent on the season on a team-high 143 attempts. Davis is the next closest at 102, while Nance, Johnson, and Dunn have combined for 104 attempts from three-point range.

Leaky Black expanded his shooting efficiency during the offseason and at one point was statistically North Carolina's best three-point shooter. Black has since cooled down and is now at 30 percent on the year after connecting on just two of his last 17 shots from beyond the arc.

The major issue for the Tar Heels is that this percentage has only worsened in conference play. Albeit by just .2 percent, they are shooting worse from three-point range over their 10 ACC contests.

18.1 Free Throws Made & 24.8 Free Throws Attempted Per Game

Getting to the free throw line has always been a staple of North Carolina basketball, particularly with their successful big men and emphasis on the offensive boards. This season the Tar Heels have done a tremendous job of drawing fouls and making their way to the charity stripe. 

With the numbers listed above, they rank fourth in college basketball in free throws made and fifth in free throws attempted. Alabama is the lone Power Six program to rank higher in either category.

To no surprise, Armando Bacot, by a wide margin, gets to the line the most for North Carolina. At 144 attempts, 64 ahead of R.J. Davis, Bacot averages 7.2 free throws per game.

Davis' 87.8 percent conversion rate from the charity stripe ranks first in the ACC and 34th in all of college basketball.

Pete Nance (78.7%) and Caleb Love (77.1%) are both successful from the line and have helped the Tar Heels achieve their top five ranking in both categories.

As the regular season enters the home stretch, North Carolina's success at getting to and converting at the free throw line will go a long way in determining their finish in the ACC.

12.52 Bench Points Per Game

With the emergence of the Iron Five to close the 2021-2022 season, it is no surprise that this number is so low for the Tar Heels. Their 12.52 bench points per game put them tied for 335th in the country, right alongside Florida State and only ahead of Notre Dame in the ACC.

While this statistic is not necessarily a positive or a negative in terms of long-term predictions, it does showcase just how much North Carolina relies on  their starting five to score.

Top-25 programs in Kansas and UCLA rank similarly to the Tar Heels in this category, but until recently for the Jayhawks, have fared better in terms of winning results.

These numbers may even be inflated or misleading for North Carolina with Jalen Washington's career-high in both points and minutes in Charlottesville. Washington came off of the bench as Bacot exited the Virginia game less than two minutes in. 

When postseason play begins, rotations are always shortened in college basketball to ensure that the best possible lineups are on the floor. Despite this, it is important for the Tar Heels to develop more bench scoring down the stretch.

Injuries and foul trouble occur and any of the five rotation players who see consistent minutes may be called upon to play a bigger role in important games.