North Carolina will start ACC play on Tuesday with a matchup against Florida State, the first true test of how this team stacks up against the rest of the league.
With conference play ramping up and the stakes rising, it’s worth taking a closer look at UNC’s offense 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.
Advertisement
Efficiency/Pace: B+
Dec 20, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) dribbles against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
North Carolina is averaging 81.4 points per game, ranking 107th nationally out of 365 Division I teams. That’s a solid place to be for a group that has emerged as one of the nation’s best defensive units. The Tar Heels are also shooting 47.5% from the field, good for 93rd in the country.
UNC’s effective field goal percentage sits at 54.7%, which ranks 77th nationally. Effective field goal percentage adjusts for the added value of 3-pointers by weighting them more heavily than 2-point attempts.
Carolina’s offensive efficiency is further reflected in its 114.9 offensive rating, which ranks 92nd in Division I. Offensive rating measures how many points a team scores per 100 possessions, incorporating 2-pointers, 3-pointers and free throws into a single metric.
Advertisement
One area of concern is the lack of bench production. The Tar Heels are getting just 19.2 points per game from their reserves, ranking 296th in the country. While Jarin Stevenson and Derek Dixon have been steady contributors off the bench, UNC will likely need more consistent scoring from its second unit as the season wears on.
Interior: A+
Dec 20, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) and center Henri Veesaar (13) celebrate during a timeout against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
North Carolina lives and breathes scoring in the paint, and it shows.
The Tar Heels make 57.8 percent of their 2-point attempts, which ranks 52nd in the country. Inside the paint, they convert 64.3 percent of their shots and 88.8 percent of their dunk attempts. Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar are both in the top 10 nationally in dunks: Wilson has 41, which leads the country, and Veesaar is tied for seventh with 28.
Advertisement
While the Tar Heels rank 133rd in offensive rebounds per game at 12.0, their offensive rebound percentage is 35.1 percent, which is 68th nationally. The raw number of offensive rebounds could be higher, but UNC ranked 240th in that category last season, so it has taken a clear step forward.
Perimeter Shooting: C+
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
North Carolina has been an average three-point shooting team this season. While Dixon (45.5%) and Henri Veesaar (50%) have been shooting lights out from beyond the arc, the rest of the team has not.
North Carolina brought in Kyan Evans (30.0%) and Luka Bogavac (32.3%) to boost its perimeter shooting, but both have struggled so far. That’s surprising given Bogavac knocked down nearly 40% of his 3-point attempts in the Adriatic League (ABA League), one of the top competitions in Europe, and Evans shot 44.6% from deep at Colorado State last season, the 24th-best mark in the country.
Advertisement
Passing: A+
Dec 16, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Kyan Evans (0) brings the ball up court during the second half against the ETSU Buccaneers at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images
Without a doubt, the strongest part of UNC’s offense outside of its interior attack is its passing. The Tar Heels average 17.2 assists per game, which ranks 64th in the country, and have an assist rate (assists leading to field goals) of 61 percent, which is 31st nationally.
Carolina also does a very good job of taking care of the ball. The Tar Heels have an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.71, which is 28th in the country, and they commit just 10.1 turnovers per game, which ranks 34th nationally.
Opponents have a steal percentage of 8.6 percent against Carolina, which is 80th nationally, and the Tar Heels have a non-steal turnover percentage of 6.0 percent, which is 37th. In other words, they rarely give the ball away on unforced errors such as throwing it out of bounds or committing unnecessary fouls.
Advertisement
Free Throw Shooting: D+
Dec 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) at the free throw line in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
The most concerning part of UNC’s entire team, let alone its offense, has been its inability to consistently make free throws. While the Tar Heels get to the line at a good rate — they average 24.1 attempts per game, which is good for 68th nationally — they make only 68.4 percent of them, which ranks 279th in the country.
To illustrate how rough it has been at the line, North Carolina has not hit 70 percent from the stripe in a single game since its loss to Michigan State on Nov. 27. With the Tar Heels not playing again until Dec. 30, it will have been a full month since they last reached that 70 percent threshold at the free-throw line.
Advertisement
That is a worrying pattern for UNC, because free throws — as straightforward as they might seem — can be the difference between winning and losing a national championship. Just ask the 2007-08 Memphis or 2018-19 Duke teams.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: A complete breakdown of Tar Heels’ offense
