UNC's deficiencies

In stumbling to an 0-2 start in the ACC with losses to Boston College and Wake Forest, North Carolina showed it still has plenty to work on before March and the postseason arrives. Here are a few factors to note in explaining the two league losses:

1. THEY'RE MISSING MARCUS GINYARD.

UNC coach Roy Williams said there's no set date for when last year's starting small forward -- who has played only 37 minutes this season and sat out his second straight game Sunday -- will return from resting his surgically repaired left foot. But it's clear that Ginyard's absence has had an impact.

He was not healthy enough to help slow BC's Tyrese Rice (25 points) and did not play against Wake, which was paced by Jeff Teague's 34 points.

"What he gives us is our best defensive player; a guy that's going to take a charge, who's going to get an offensive rebound, who's going to get a key steal, who's going to bother people with what he's doing as a total basketball player," Williams said. "Needless to say, we could use that right now."

Though Ginyard's injury means the Tar Heels have another scorer, Danny Green, in the starting lineup, it also means there's no real offensive spark off the bench. Rebound-minded Ed Davis leads the reserves with 7.3 points per game, followed by Will Graves at 4.9 ppg. Back-up guard Bobby Frasor is making only a third of his shots -- and all of a sudden, UNC is really missing freshman Tyler Zeller, who had shown a knack around the offensive basket before he broke a wrist.

2. TY LAWSON HAS BEEN EXPOSED.

There was some talk that the junior could contend for ACC Player of the Year if he continued to take care of the ball and run past league foes the way he did in nonconference play.

But after being schooled by Rice, and then Teague, Lawson is averaging just 9.5 points in league games and has eight turnovers to go with nine assists.

He probably is past his biggest individual tests among league teams, but it's hard to give him a passing grade in those two games.

3. HANSBROUGH IS SHOOTING TOO MUCH FROM THE OUTSIDE.

The senior forward wanted to improve his game (and perhaps impress NBA scouts in the process) by proving he could connect from the perimeter. But he went 0-for-5 in the second half at Wake and was outscored, 20-17, by Demon Deacons center Chas McFarland.

And when his jump shots failed to fall, Hansbrough's game, as well as his team's, was hurt when he didn't return to his bread and butter in the post.

"He is more comfortable out there; we want him to shoot that sometimes, but we also want him to do a better job of posting up low," Williams said.

Williams added that the coaches need to get Hansbrough, Deon Thompson and Ed Davis into "proper spots and [not] be willing to accept what the defense forces 10 or 12 feet out, as opposed to getting low."

4. THEY BELIEVED THEIR OWN HYPE.

Shooting guard Wayne Ellington admitted that "sometimes we go out there and just expect to win instead of realizing that nobody's going to roll over for us."

You would think the Tar Heels would have realized that after losing to BC. But after being built up in the media, that confidence can lead to cockiness -- which in turn can lead to bad things, like dishing out only nine assists on Sunday.

"I'm not going to say that we're a selfish bunch; we're maybe too confident at times and think that 'I can just beat my man,'" Williams said. "But in this league, you're not going to do that, and we just have to accept that, and we've got to move the ball better ... we've got to move as a team better."