One Statistic Michael Malone Must Improve at UNC

Among the most successful teams last season, and the outright best ones, there is a common theme between all of them. North Carolina did not fit that theme last season, but Michael Malone and company should make it a priority to have his team fit that mold this season.

Offensive Rebounding Is Key

Duke, Michigan State, Illinois, Tennessee, Florida, Purdue, and Houston all ranked within the top tier of teams when it comes to the second-chance point differential and offensive rebounding percentage. 

These teams dominated on the glass and consistently scored points off second-chance opportunities. When you have a team that lacks shooting efficiency, having a team that can crash the boards on offense is a must. That is where North Carolina lacked last season. 

From a shooting standpoint, North Carolina was not the most effective team last year. In fact, they ranked just about average across all teams in Power Five conferences in true shooting percentage. With under 58%, the team was not shooting the ball as efficiently as they would have liked, but also not getting nearly enough second chances to warrant the low shot efficiency. 

How Good Was North Carolina on the Glass Last Season?

On about 31% of shots, North Carolina came down with an offensive board. You would have thought that with a team as tall as North Carolina was in the paint last season, that number should have been higher. 

Luckily, North Carolina should not have a shortage of height this season, either. Sayon Keita and Alexandros Samodurov both hover around seven feet tall, which should give the Tar Heels an early advantage in the paint. 

It’s no coincidence that the best teams in the country last season were atop the list for second-chance points and offensive rebounding as a whole. For a program like North Carolina, being average is not nearly good enough. 

If North Carolina can get it together on offense and always crash the glass, second-chance points are proven to be linked heavily to a team's success. Carolina has the size and depth to make that an advantage.