Hubert Davis clear on why North Carolina has shot better from 3-point line

The North Carolina Tar Heels have been inconsistent at times this season. However, with improved three-point shooting in recent weeks, head coach Hubert Davis has also seen the end results for his team improve.

After North Carolina’s most recent win, a 92-73 win over the Miami Hurricanes, Davis shared the reason why he believes the Tar Heels have improved their three-point shooting.

“I really think it’s our approach of dominating points in the paint,” Hubert Davis said. “I’ve been clear, definitive with them, that we’re an inside-outside team in regards to putting max pressure on the rim, whether it’s post penetration, offensive rebounds, getting to the free throw line. I feel like over the last five or six games, we’ve done a really good job of that, and as a result, it has led us to having some really good looks from three.”

For the season, North Carolina is shooting 34.6 percent from three-point range. That’s 138th in the country out of 355 teams. However, in five of the last six games, North Carolina has shot 40 percent or better from three-point range. That’s helped the Tar Heels to average 90.8 points per game in their last five games.

Nobody has taken more three-point shots for North Carolina this season than RJ Davis. He’s made 63 out of 198 shots from distance this season for a 31.8 percentage. Ian Jackson, meanwhile, has made 50 out of 125 three-point shots, or 40 percent of those shots. However, Jae’lyn Withers‘ 48.1 percent three-point percentage actually leads the team.

“And we’ve got a number of guys that are consistently knocking down those threes. And when you put that all together, that allows us, I don’t know last five games what we’re averaging,” Davis said. “But it’s up in the 90s (points per game), and it’s because we’re getting it from everywhere. From three, at the rim, free throw line, offensive rebounds, and then at the times where we can create some steals in our full-court pressure. It makes us even better offensively.”

With two games remaining in the regular season, North Carolina is going to hope to maintain that improved shooting into the postseason. That starts with their final road game of the season against the Virginia Tech Hokies on Tuesday.