CHAPEL HILL – Dribble. Dribble. Dribble. Drive. Fall.

That has essentially been North Carolina’s offensive approach the last few games, and it’s played a decidedly key role in the Tar Heels losing each of those contests by a combined 32 points.

None of the Tar Heels said driving into a clogged lane loaded with trees was the game plan, but they did discuss Wednesday night what some of the problems are. So did UNC Coach Hubert Davis.

The looks of it is head-scratching as well as excruciating. And the results have been devastating. And the core of it appears simple: Read the situation and react accordingly.

“We’ve got to do a better job of playing off (the big men) and realizing that weak side shot blockers to come in to block a shot,” veteran guard RJ Davis said following the Tar Heels’ 94-79 loss at home to No. 10 Alabama on Wednesday night. “So, we’ve got to do a better job of playing off… or getting into a little floating package or a kick out for three.”

Davis is talking about the chemistry with the big men down low. Sometimes after screens, but often without them. There’s an and-one mentality that appears to have infiltrated Davis, Seth Trimble, and Elliot Cadeau. It’s also afflicted freshman Ian Jackson, who is a drive-heavy player.

Too often these last three contests, it looks like the guards want clear outs so they can bust it to the rim. Only there isn’t really any clearing, and by the time they’ve driven and left their feet, it appears the only option is to try and draw a foul. Yet, that’s not happening much.

Davis, Trimble, and Cadeau have attempted only 25 free throws combined in the last three games making only 17, thus their collective per-game average is 5.7-for-8.3. That’s nowhere near the return on investing so many hard darts to the basket and the contact that ensues.

On top of that, the trio is a collective 31-for-78 shooting the ball inside the arc in the last three games, with most of those attempts following drives to the basket and within a few feet of the rim. That’s 39.7% and not at all an effective approach.

“I do know that we've done a really good job of drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line,” Carolina’s coach said after the Alabama game. “And the last couple games it hasn't resulted in that. We've got to do a better job of either taking that floater, being stronger, getting to the basket.”

At issue are a few items: The pin-the-ears-back-and-force drives is first. Second is not looking to shoot that floater, dump the ball off to a big, or kick it out to the perimeter for some catch-and-shoot threes. And the third is the guards and bigs are not playing properly off of each other.

And it doesn’t seem like this will be an overnight fix, either. It will take time.

“It’s all about reading and communication just to know what their anticipation is,” junior forward Ven-Allen Lubin said, acknowledging reading what the guards are doing is a challenge.

Yet, this wasn’t nearly the problem before playing Auburn in Maui last week as it has quickly become.

In the loss to the Tigers, Davis, Trimble, and Cadeau combined to shoot 13-for-29 inside the arc while attempting only four free throws. They were 9-for-25 against Michigan State but at least shot 14 free throws, making just nine. And against the Crimson Tide, the trio was 9-for-24 inside the arc and 7-for-10 from the charity stripe.

“The guards have to do a better job of setting our man up,” said RJ Davis. “That way we can get the big lead on the screen they’re able to set – a good firm screen – and we’re able to create a lead.”

With that, the veteran guard said that alone working as it’s designed could open more room for getting big guys the ball rolling or trailing to the rim or open more room for the guard to get a better effort to the cup.

“It’s a two-way street of connectivity from us and the bigs,” he said.

Hubert Davis wants his guys to attack the rim with more authority. Slam it if they can and stop moving the ball around when in the air soaring toward the rim. Officials will call fouls on attempted slams but not on softer attempts at cute lay-ins.

“I think it's a combination of things, but again, those are things that can be fixed,” the fourth-year coach said. “And we'll get better at that."

At 4-4 overall and the ACC very down this year, the Tar Heels must fix this problem quickly, as they play a league game at home against Georgia Tech on Saturday and face UCLA and Florida on neutral floors in the next few weeks.