(Video Courtesy of UNC Athletics)

North Carolina basketball Coach Roy Williams met with the media Friday in advance of Saturday’s ACC opener versus Wake Forest.

Here are some snippets of what Williams had to say:

*UNC is shooting 39.6 percent from 3-point range this season, the Tar Heels’ highest percentage since 2005, one of the years they won a national championship under Williams. How confident is he in his team’s perimeter shooting?

“If they’re good shots I feel very confident,” Williams said. “Kenny (Williams), when he goes up I feel it’s a good shot, I feel confident. Joel (Berry) I feel confident, Jalek (Felton) at times I feel confident, Cam (Johnson) I feel confident. Those are the four that should take the most of them.

“In the Ohio State game, after Jalek made his first one, I was confident on his second and third ones. Those four guys, Kenny, Joel, and Cam – oh, and Andrew (Platek), I’m pretty confident with Andrew, too. As long as they are good shots.

“But we need to make some of those because we don’t have, so far, the balance in the scoring that I always like. We don’t have that guy that’s scoring baskets inside, even though Luke’s doing some of his work inside.”

*After scoring 20 or more points in seven of UNC’s first nine games, Luke Maye has totaled 12, 15, 17 and 9 points in the Tar Heels’ last four games, respectively. Are teams starting to catch up with him and figure out some of his tenancies?

“I think so,” Williams replied. “I think once you get into the league they do know more about you, they know all of your warts. And I think it will be harder when a defense knows as much. But he’s a pretty bright young man and can figure out some things as well.

“His numbers were so off the charts, it’s hard to expect anyone to maintain that. But I think Luke will continue to be a very effective offensive player, very effective rebounder for us because he’ll figure some things out.

“And it’s up to us to do a better job of screening for him to get him a little more open than he was before.”

*With the nonconference portion of the schedule over with and ACC play here, what are a couple of areas Williams would like to see his team improve?

“The best answer is everything, but the one thing I think we still have to do a better job of is protecting the rim, the defensive play of our big guys. And we’ve worked on it every day trying to get better. We’ve got to get better at that to be really successful.”

*Williams was asked about Felton, given how he played against Ohio State, if he sees the freshman’s role growing as the season goes on. The coach’s reply was predictable and exactly how you knew he’d reply, because it’s so accurate:

“Did you watch the game before Ohio State,” Williams replied to the person who asked the question. “C’mon now. Five minutes, three turnovers, and really four, because one of his passes bounced off the dadgum backboard and we got the ball back. Think about your questions. He sucked – is that proper to say those kinds of things – against Wofford.

“So he made four (3-pointers) and I loved him against Ohio State. But the proof is in the pudding.”

*On potential drawbacks of using Luke Maye at the five:

“Defending around the rim,” Williams said. “You guys have seen Sterling (Manley) block some shots without jumping, Luke does not do that. The length of Sterling, the power of B-Huff (Brandon Huffman), Garrison (Brooks). Look at the list of award winners for defensive player of the game, Garrison has had as many defensive grades up there as any freshman I’ve ever coached. I think he’s won the defensive player of the game three times.

“I’ve had guys here two years that were drafted highly in the NBA that never won the defensive player of the game a single time. So you have to look at those kinds of things, too, because you say we’ll play small, but you have to give something up, and that something is usually rebounding. And I happen to think that’s the most important part of the game.

“It depends on matchups, too. It’s hard to ask Sterling or BHuff to go out and guard a 5 man that shoots 3-point shots… Every decision you make has ripple effects, it might help you in one situation and might hurt you in another.”