CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina’s issues this season haven’t only been on the defensive end of the court. Freshman point guard Coby White said the Tar Heels can be better offensively, too.

With “effort” a word being tossed around by the players and head coach Roy Williams in explaining some of the team’s struggles, White says it applies to the offensive end of the floor, especially following last week’s loss to Kentucky in Chicago.

“I think we were becoming like robots on the court,” White said. “We were trying to run something and instead of thinking we were just running it. We’ve just got to come more prepared to play.”

The narrative was much different following Saturday’s 82-60 victory over Davidson. The Tar Heels shot only 44 percent from the floor, but the they missed plenty of wide open shots and assisted on 20 of their 26 field goals.

“We weren’t as stagnant as we were in Chicago,” said White, who finished with seven assists on the day. “We moved the ball really well and got open looks.”

It goes without saying that Carolina’s a much better team - especially on offense - when it is constantly moving. Increased movement leads to more open shots, rebounds, assists, and, as a result, a more efficient offense.

A self-described lack of effort played major roles in their three losses to Texas, Michigan, and Kentucky. Like in any sport, the team that plays with more intensity better positions itself to emerge on top.

Looking back, however, it’s no coincidence that effort and movement were not a problem in the Tar Heels’ nine wins so far. In the loses, the they're averaging just 75.7 points, but in the wins, the Heels are averaging 96.6 points.

“This is a game that we all want to play, this is a game that we love,” senior Cameron Johnson said. “And, to be successful, we’ve got to play, we’ve got to do these little things. In the end, if we want to win and accomplish what we want to accomplish, we’ll do them.”

Against Davidson, UNC didn’t do those little things that Johnson mentioned in the first 11 minutes or so of the game. Davidson held a 24-19 lead with 6:40 remaining in the first half before the Tar Heels finally flipped the switch.

Carolina went on a 42-11 run - including a 20-4 run to end the first half - that stretched to the 11:15 mark in the second half. By that time, the Tar Heels held a 61-35 lead and the game was virtually over.

Johnson said Carolina’s defensive effort, particularly during that 20-4 stretch, was down to one simple thing.

“Effort,” Johnson said. “Stops lead to easy baskets and we were finding each other. Luke (Maye) hit me with a great tip out pass during that stretch so just plays like that kind of put the momentum in our favor.”

And, has been the case throughout Williams’ career, when his team’s play well on the defensive end it always translates to the offensive side, too. But, given their current path, the Heels are further ahead playing with the ball than when trying to stop it and that may be the case for the remainder of the season.

But it doesn’t mean they still can’t reach their goals, they just must always be in an active mode on offense, not the robotic one that stagnated them in the Windy City.

*White was asked the movement at the beginning of the video

*Johnson discusses the movement at the 2:24 mark of the video