Basketball Guide to Beating the North Carolina Tarheels

When basketball fans think of the North Carolina Tarheels these days it's is a love them or hate them approach. Most fans have a particular sentiment either for or against the legendary college basketball program. Since the days of Frank McGuire and Dean Smith, the Tarheels have been a force in the college basketball world, excusing the one-year hiccup under Matt Doherty. This season under coach Roy Williams has been no different than the remarkable years of the past North Carolina teams, and there's no doubt that the 2006-2007 national championship for college basketball will run through the Tarheels. So how can opposing teams stop this dominant squad from Tobacco Road?

First, any team hoping to pull out a victory over the Heels will have to play impeccable defense. The Tarheels have been one of the top scoring offenses this season and have averaged more than 80 points per contest. Stopping the juggernaut of an offense isn't really the key to success, but rather containing the Heels is best approach. The best defense to play against the Tarheels is any version of a lane-packed zone, such as a box-and-one or a match-up zone. Such a defense would most likely force the game into a slower tempo and help an outmatched team defend North Carolina's best two players Tyler Hansbrough and Brandan Wright, who are the Tarheels top two scorers and rebounders. The zone would also force North Carolina into a jump shooting style of play in which they would be the most susceptible to defeat.

Next, a team hoping to upset the Tarheels would have to shoot a high percentage from the field. While this is certainly easier said than done, shooting a low percentage against the Tarheels is surely a recipe for disaster. A great big man can increase the chance of success in a matchup with North Carolina because easy points in the paint are a must. To hang with the Heels, the battle for points in the paint simply must be even or favor the team hoping to win. With a solid low-post offense, kick out three pointers and cutters going through the lane will be easier to find and will increase the number of easy buckets that the Tarheels will yield. In North Carolina's loss to NC State, the main reason for the Wolfpack's upset was their outstanding 61 percent shooting percentage from the field.

Finally, a team needing a win over North Carolina must protect the basketball and slow down the tempo. Several teams use the slow down style of play, but such a style is generally unused, but to beat the Heels team will need to limit the turnovers and keep the basketball secured for a full 40 minutes. Using most of the shot clock on key possession will help to slow the tempo and keep the Tarheels from using the fast break to create easy scoring opportunities. Using all 35 seconds on the shot clock isn't a necessary component but using a large portion, 20-30 seconds, on each possession will shorten the game and make such an insurmountable feat possible.

Overall, the task of beat the 2006-2007 North Carolina Tarheels isn't by any means impossible or unthinkable. In fact, several teams have defeated the Heels and shown the nation weaknesses. The Tarheels are an extremely young team, but the talent on this squad closely resembles that of the 2005 National Championship team featuring Sean May, Rashad McCants, and Raymond Felton. Beating the Tarheels down the stretch is going to be a significant undertaking for any team, but two teams who can give the Tarheels trouble by using the above strategies are Wisconsin and Texas A&M. The Tarheels have to be the favorite to win this year's championship considering their talent, but beating them can be done by slowing the game down using the described strategy, so the Tarheels will be looking to avoid teams such as Wisconsin and Texas A&M come March Madness time.