CHAPEL HILL – Identity marks on No. 3 North Carolina 19 games into its season are aplenty, and almost all are highly positive.

The Tar Heels have won nine consecutive games and sit at 16-3 overall, including 8-0 in the ACC. A major reason the team has not only compiled such an impressive record, but also grown in confidence like a rocket soaring into space, is the Heels know they can always win a game no matter how it’s playing out.

The team has fortified itself with a mental coat of armor through the first two-plus months of the season, as this was tested on opening night and many times since. And almost each time, Carolina responded accordingly.