3 Takeaways From UNC’s Win Over No. 14 Virginia

North Carolina got a huge comeback victory over No. 14-ranked Virginia on the road. This could be a massive spark in the Tar Heels’ season and put them right back in title contention.

The Cavaliers were up by as much as 16 points over the Tar Heels, but a strong second half led UNC to a win.

Here are three takeaways from UNC’s win over UVA.

Derex Dixon is a star

Freshman Derek Dixon may have changed not only this season but for years to come in Chapel Hill. This team always seemed like it had a ceiling that it could not break through due to not having a true point guard. After patiently coming off the bench, Dixon has officially been in the starting five the past three games.

Dixon has completely changed the trajectory of this program and has given the fan base hope. His guard skills were on full display against the Cavaliers, as he sparked the comeback with his passing ability. Dixon finished the game with seven assists and made his teammates’ lives a whole lot easier.

Caleb Wilson had trouble staying involved in second halves due to working so hard to get a single bucket. Dixon has solved that problem by setting up Wilson with fast break dunks and keeping the star involved as he should be.

Jarin Stevenson is an X factor

Jarin Stevenson could be UNC’s new secret weapon. The Tar Heels do not have a lot of big man depth outside of Wilson and Henri Veesaar. If Stevenson can step up as he did against the Cavaliers, that will be a huge help in taking pressure off Wilson and Veesaar.

His ability to stretch the floor, but also put the ball on the floor and attack spaces out this UNC offense tremendously. Stevenson scored 17 second-half points against the Cavaliers and hit multiple clutch shots to pull off the comeback.

Obviously, do not expect Stevenson to start averaging 17 points a game, but if he can knock down a few threes a game and take some pressure off Wilson and Veesaar, then he will make this UNC team a lot better.

Caleb Wilson will go down in UNC history

At this point, it is not if, it is when Wilson goes down in UNC history. With his recent 20-point performance, he tied Tyler Hansbrough for most 20-point games as a freshman at UNC. It is only January, and Wilson just needs one more 20-point game to break the record.

In an extraordinary freshman season, Wilson is very likely to make it even more legendary.

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