Things have not gone the way North Carolina would have hoped the last three games. In a season that already saw the Tar Heels at 15-6 and outside the Top 25, they are 0-3 inside the last two weeks, and are clearly on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

A historic program like this one isn't used to a three-game slide, so everyone involved rightly asks why it is happening.

The waters muddy somewhat when one considers they have dropped each one in different fashions. Pitt's guards won the one-on-one battles down the stretch. Duke was able to protect the rim without fouling, and the Tar Heels looked to have little interest in going to Winston Salem and playing Wake Forest.

However, the statistics offer some clear and shocking results that give clear reasons for the slide. They provide plenty of reasons for concern, but also give some surprising silver linings among the clouds.