North Carolina started ACC play on Tuesday night with a 79-66 win over Florida State at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill. With conference play ramping up and the stakes rising, it’s worth taking a closer look at UNC’s defense by the numbers, using data from the NCAA as well as KenPom to see where the Tar Heels are thriving and where they still need to improve.
Opponents are averaging only 63.7 points per game against North Carolina, the 15th-best mark in Division I. Contrast that with the Tar Heels’ 81.2 points per game, and you get a scoring margin of 17.9 points.
Foes are shooting just 36.1% from the field, which ranks fourth nationally and second in the ACC behind Duke. They are converting only 40.5% on 2-point attempts, second nationally according to KenPom, and 28.2% from 3-point range, which ranks 21st.
Combine that 3-point defense with their overall field goal numbers, and Carolina owns a defensive field goal efficiency of 36.1%, the best mark in the ACC and the fourth-best in the country.
Blocks and Steals: B-
North Carolina ranks 94th nationally with 4.1 blocks per game. The Tar Heels are getting their share of rejections, but their real strength lies in how their size, length, and athleticism enable them to alter shots around the rim. They have also done a good job of building a wall in the deep paint. This is a defense that contests shots rather than constantly attacking passing lanes.
As good as the defense has been, the Tar Heels do not generate many steals, averaging only 5.6 per game, which ranks 311th nationally. They also don’t create many turnovers overall, forcing just 9.6 per game — last in the ACC and 349th in Division I.
Rebounding: A-
North Carolina is grabbing 42.6 rebounds per game, which leads the ACC and ranks 13th nationally. The Tar Heels are averaging 30.2 defensive rebounds per game, which also leads the ACC and is seventh nationally. North Carolina’s opponents have an offensive rebounding rate of 27.6%, which ranks 68th nationally, which isn’t bad at all.
