Why North Carolina Needs a Fast Start in ACC Play

The North Carolina Tar Heels have established themselves as one of the best teams in the nation, going 12-1 in the non-conference portion of their schedule. North Carolina continued to impress by defeating the Florida State Seminoles on Tuesday night at the Dean E. Smith Center.

It was a significant result for a team looking to prove that the early-season success was no fluke, and that it should be viewed as one of the top-flight units in the country.

Beating Florida State was only the first step in an elongated conference schedule. With all that being said, here is why the Tar Heels need a strong start in ACC Play.

Manageable Schedule

Dec 30, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) reacts in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

including Florida State, the Tar Heels' first five games in conference play consist of unranked opponents. Now, SMU, Stanford, and California all have 11 wins this season, but North Carolina's talent and pedigree are leaps and bounds above each of those programs.

The Tar Heels do not face a currently ranked team until Jan. 24 at Virginia, which is 11-1 and No. 21 in the country. This is not suggesting that the opening slate of games will be pushover contests, but North Carolina has immense opportunity to open the season 17-1 and 5-0 in ACC play.

Builds Confidence

Dec 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis talks with guard Kyan Evans (0) during the first half against the East Carolina Pirates at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Manhandling teams like East Carolina and USC Upstate is what the Tar Heels should do, but those results do not determine if a team is good or not. Those are games in which North Carolina should dominate from start to finish.

We truly find out how good top programs are when conference play begins. That is when the college basketball season starts, as teams go through a vigorous schedule against formidable opponents on a weekly basis. There are no breaks in conference play, and that is when teams are mentally and physically tested.

Establish a Rotation

Dec 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jonathan Powell (11), forward Caleb Wilson (8), and guard Derek Dixon (3) react during the second half against the East Carolina Pirates at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

If North Carolina can string together multiple wins in a row while figuring out what rotations work the best, it will allow them to construct game plans against specific teams.

The non-conference portion of the schedule is when inexperienced and under-the-radar players can find their footing in the season. If and when that is accomplished, those players will look to expand on those successes during conference play.

Dec 30, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Kyan Evans (0) and forward Jonathan Powell (11) react in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

For example, Jonathan Powell took advantage of his opportunities during stretches in the opening two months. The sophomore forward became a consistent player on both ends of the floor, which led to Powell paving a path into the rotation and that continued against Florida State on Tuesday night.

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