No. 14 North Carolina braces for clash vs. upstart USC Upstate

No. 14 North Carolina won't be the only team showing notable progress since last season when it takes the court this weekend.

The Tar Heels aim for their third consecutive victory when they take on South Carolina Upstate on Saturday afternoon in Chapel Hill, N.C.

North Carolina (8-1) won its past two games over Kentucky and Georgetown, and Tar Heels coach Hubert Davis noted what led to the success.

"There's no route, there's no road other than being able to be tough on both ends of the floor," Davis said. "We've identified that. We've got to be physical and tough enough, even on the offensive end."

The Tar Heels have taken that message to heart.

"We're really good when we lock in on being good on the defensive end, our offense follows," North Carolina guard Derek Dixon said.

USC Upstate (6-5) has won two games in a row, including last Saturday's 78-67 win at home over Western Carolina. The Spartans already have matched last season's win total.

"If you stay the path, you get rewarded," Spartans coach Marty Richter said. "When different guys step up. That is what is really neat to see. They are starting to figure that out as a group."

North Carolina has been formidable in the lane in recent games. That has been the foundation for the Tar Heels on the offensive end.

North Carolina's Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar both recorded double-doubles in each of their last two games.

"We're inside-out," Davis said of the offense. "I've been clear, definitive. I want to dominate points in the paint, post penetration, offensive rebounding, live in the paint, live at the free-throw line, put max pressure on the rim."

Wilson and Veesaar have been complemented by guard Luka Bogavac, who has reached double-figure point totals in seven consecutive games.

"I try every single game to get more and more comfortable, to try to find my rhythm with this team," Bogavac said. "The pick-and-roll game is one of the things that I feel most comfortable."

Wilson has been the main force in getting the Tar Heels started.

"One of the things that I would say opposing teams are learning is one of the things that he's elite at is passing the basketball," Davis said of Wilson. "He can find guys, and so actually, when they put two on the ball, he becomes a playmaker. He's really instinctive, and he knows where his teammates are and gets the ball to where it needs to be."

USC Upstate will face its second opponent of the season from a power conference after falling 72-63 on Nov. 29 at Nebraska. Since then, the Spartans have been on the uptick.

"I told the guys after the Nebraska game that they were growing -- just not seeing the reward of it yet," Richter said. "If you stay the path, you will start seeing the rewards."

USC Upstate guard Mason Bendinger averaged 21 points in two games last week, including a career-best 27 points for the junior in a victory against Coastal Carolina.

The Spartans are averaging 79.7 points per game. Since last season, North Carolina has won 11 consecutive games when holding opponents to fewer than 70 points.

--Field Level Media