What North Carolina Needs to Focus on Against East Tennessee State

The North Carolina Tar Heels host East Tennessee State at Dean E. Smith Center on Tuesday night. North Carolina enters the matchup with a 9-1 record, while East Tennessee State owns an 8-3 record.

This is another opportunity for the Tar Heels to take advantage of a lesser opponent and expedite the development of role and bench players. Against USC Upstate, head coach Hubert Davis expanded the rotation, playing nine players in total.

With all that being said, here are areas North Carolina should focus on against East Tennessee State on Tuesday night.

Bounce Back in the Rebounding Department

Dec 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; USC Upstate Spartans center Coen Collier (7) shoots as North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jarin Stevenson (15) and center Henri Veesaar (13) defend in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Tar Heels uncharacteristically struggled to control the glass, allowing nine offensive rebounds against USC Upstate, which translated to 10 second-chance points for the Spartans.

This was something that irked Davis, who expressed his displeasure following the win during his postgame press conference.

Dec 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

"Unacceptable. One of the things we want to be is a great offensive rebounding team, and we want to be a great defensive rebounding team as well," Davis said. "For them to have more offensive rebounds than us is not good, and for us to out-rebound them only by three. I talked about rebounding and how important it is for us to dominate points in the paint in regard to rebounding in that area. We did not play well."

East Tennessee State averages 34.4 rebounds per game, which ranks 134th in the country. North Carolina should be able to take full advantage, and with the message being clear from Davis, the Tar Heels' focus on the boards should be evident.

Continue to Bolster the Role Players' Confidences

Dec 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Luka Bogavac (44) reacts in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Star players will be the primary reason for the team's success, but the supporting cast raises the ceiling and enhances the team's potential.

Over the course of the last three games, North Carolina's supporting cast has been instrumental in the team's ability to hold onto leads in fine margins.

Saturday was another example of that, as Jonathan Powell was crucial in the final minutes of the game, shutting down the Spartans' last-gasp effort by hitting a three-point shot, expanding the Tar Heels' lead to 11 points.

Davis discussed Powell's impact on the result of the game during his postgame press conference.

Dec 7, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jonathan Powell (11) reacts after hitting a three point shot in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

"I thought he played well on both ends," Davis said. "Obviously, he made shots, and today, not only made shots, but timely shots, especially from three. I think it was an eight-point game in the second half, he had a three and a corner taken to double figures, and that extended the lead for the remainder of the game."

"But he's also a really physical defender, very competitive, and just has a passion and desire to be a part of his team and this program," Davis said. "So, I was really happy they had a good game today."

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