Barry Jacobs On ACC Scoring!

North Carolina, the ACC's last undefeated team, and one of the few remaining in the country, has scored at least 99 points in seven of its first 14 games. On the eve of the ACC season, the Tar Heels average 92.2 points per game. If sustained, that would be fourth-best in league history and best ever at UNC.

The Heels show no sign of losing steam. They averaged 95.8 points in five games since returning home following six straight road contests.

UNC attacks at both ends of the court. Only Duke enjoys a larger scoring margin compared to opponents.

The first squad at Chapel Hill comprised entirely of Roy Williams' recruits is efficient and aggressive. North Carolina leads the ACC in field goal accuracy (.503) and ratio of assists to turnovers (1.2:1), and it is second in rebound margin, offensive rebounds, and steals.

"You really have to put the hammer down when you're playing," Williams said after a 105-70 win over UC Santa Barbara just prior to Christmas. "We've got some players. I want to play a fast tempo. I think it suits the personnel that we have."

Davidson is the sole opponent to date that came within 10 points of North Carolina at the final buzzer, falling 72-68 in the opener for both teams.

One could argue the Tar Heels have not played the toughest schedule, but that is true for most of the ACC. Only Georgia Tech has played schedules that were rated more highly, according to Jeff Sagarin in USA Today. UNC also dared to play on the home floors of four nonconference foes - Ohio State, Kentucky, Penn, and Rutgers. Compare that with Duke, which has avoided hostile courts entirely.

ACC defenses, along with the long grind of the season, will likely stifle the prolific scoring achieved so far by the Heels. Then again, maybe not.

* Left ACC following 1970-71 season.