Jawad Williams (left) and the rest of the UNC defense held Georgia Tech to just 36.8 percent shooting. AP

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The throng of reporters didn't even need to ask a question after North Carolina's 91-69 drubbing of Georgia Tech. Paul Hewitt just walked into the post-game press conference at the Smith Center, sat down, and offered it up: "We got beat by a very good team tonight."

That, by now, has become abundantly clear. UNC, ranked third in the AP poll, may in fact be the nation's most dazzling squad, an elite unit that strung together three 105-plus-point games heading into its duel with eighth-ranked Georgia Tech. And against the Yellow Jackets, who had been yielding an average of 58.1 points per game -- making them the top defense in the ACC -- the Tar Heels had already eclipsed 58 points less than 25 minutes into the contest.

The story behind the 2005 version of this team, however, is more than that it's just "very good." It goes beyond the star power of its junior triumvirate of Rashad McCants, Raymond Felton and Sean May. It's more than just its penchant for piling up points and revving up the pace. As coach Roy Williams said tonight, "Everybody knows we can run." Here, then, are three less obvious reasons why the Tar Heels have become so dominant:

1. They're not just masters of the up-tempo game. They've become a model of efficiency as well.

According to tempo figures compiled by college hoops stats junkie Ken Pomeroy, the Tar Heels (heading into Wednesday) are playing the second-fastest brand of ball in the nation, averaging 78.6 possessions per 40 minutes. This, if you've been watching UNC this season, should come as no surprise. What is stunning -- and perhaps the best illustration of how dominant they can be -- is that the Heels are also No. 3 in the nation in offensive efficiency, scoring an average of 121.9 points per 100 possessions.

This means, in the simplest terms possible, that the Tar Heels don't just play faster than nearly every other team in the nation; they also average more points on every offensive possession than nearly every other team. This is a rare and lethal formula: Consider that of the five most up-tempo teams in the country (Maryland, UNC, Navy, North Carolina A&T and Georgia Southern, in that order), Williams' boys are the only one in the top 60 in offensive efficiency. Pace alone doesn't determine success; the Terps, ranked No. 1 in that category, were blown out by UNC 109-75 on Saturday. And while the Heels did run up big scores against the likes of Loyola, Cleveland State and William & Mary, the 91 they posted against Georgia Tech -- which happened to be the nation's No. 1 team in defensive efficiency -- validates their offensive superiority.

These stats aren't a fluke; they're part of Roy Williams' master plan. "We're trying to be very efficient at a fast pace," he said. "My best teams -- like Kansas in 1997, 2002 and '03 -- have all been very efficient on the offensive end. But it's very difficult to do, because we try to do it over 40 minutes of the game."

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The Heels had difficulty maintaining this blend of speed and precision during Roy Williams' first season in Chapel Hill, but they're doing it now. And the biggest reason why is ...

2. Depth. A beefed-up bench gives the Heels the ability to stay quick and efficient for not just 20 or 30 minutes, but an entire game.

May, who didn't have the stamina to play at Roy Williams' tempo last year, used to be worried when he was forced to retire to the bench frequently. The '03-'04 Heels would take a considerable step back with their versatile big man on the pine. That's not the case this time around, thanks to super-freshman Marvin Williams, who came up huge in reserve on Wednesday with 14 points and six rebounds in 23 minutes.

"I'm thrilled [with how Marvin is playing]," May said. "Because when I come out, the level of play is going to stay the same or even get better. Marvin plays at such a high intensity level."

Marvin, UNC's third and youngest Williams, would have been a lottery pick had he entered the 2004 NBA Draft, but instead finds himself playing an integral sixth-man role for the Heels. He entered the Georgia Tech game with 16:05 left in the first half, and a little more than three minutes later, made the move that finally lifted the late-arriving crowd at the Smith Center to their feet: Williams rebounded a missed 3-pointer by McCants, took a step to the hole and threw down a resounding dunk to put UNC up 14-5. Playing on the biggest stage of his young life, the ultra-athletic Williams seemed unaware of the magnitude of his contribution.

"It was interesting," was all he could say. "I guess I'm just kind of flying right now."

Marvin's flight was only half the bench story for the Heels. In a box score loaded with glaring statistical gaps between UNC and Georgia Tech, the disparity in bench points stood out: 36 for the Heels, just 11 for the Jackets. David Noel added seven points in 14 minutes and Melvin Scott had eight in 22 minutes.

As Roy Williams cycles through a lineup that goes nine deep, it's vital that his reserves fit into the team concept. An impressive 24 of UNC's 28 field goals were accompanied by an assist; Felton led the way with seven, but three other Heels (including backup point guard Quentin Thomas) had at least three dishes to their name. Tech, on the other hand, had just eight assists to show for its 21 buckets.

Despite UNC's gaudy assist total, its win over Tech was not a "ballet on hardwood," a description that was apropos of a number of UNC's early-season victories. The Heels fell into bouts of sloppiness, equaling the Jackets' turnover total of 19 (including an uncharacteristic eight by Felton) and breaking their streak of eight halves shooting over 50 percent by firing at a 37.0 percent clip in the first half. (They bounced back to shoot 50 in the second.) Part of the reason the game's result remained so lopsided was because UNC listened to what Roy Williams has been preaching and ...

3. It seems that they're starting to play defense. The Heels' D isn't all the way there yet, but it is a significant improvement from last season.

When McCants made his most crowd-pleasing play of the game, it didn't occur on offense. With 7:42 left in the second half and the Heels up 21, the Jackets' Theodis Tarver made the regrettable decision of trying to dunk over McCants on a fast break. McCants served it back to him for a late dinner, re-energizing an already ecstatic crowd.

McCants didn't make much of the rejection, saying, "That wasn't for my pleasure; it was for yours." By yours, he meant the media, but one has to think his defense-obsessed head coach was pleased as well. UNC did have lapses on the defensive end, but McCants had a career-high four blocks, and the effort of forwards May and Jawad Williams made Tech big man Luke Schenscher largely irrelevant.

"Defense is the key," May said. "If we're going to win and be good, we've got to be good on the defensive end."

Hanging 91 points on the nation's most efficient defensive team -- Tech was yielding just 77.2 points per 100 possessions -- was a statement. But it wasn't the only one UNC made on Wedneday. It also proved that its defense isn't too shabby, holding the Jackets to 36.8 percent shooting and just 17.6 percent from beyond the arc. This, after limiting high-flying Maryland to just 75 points four days earlier.

Roy Williams still made a point of telling Hewitt afterwards that he "didn't think [the Heels] were as good defensively as Georgia Tech." Roy doesn't want his squad to get complacent, but on Wednesday, they had the upper hand in every category -- speed, efficiency, depth, and surprisingly, defense. The win over the Yellow Jackets was yet another great stride forward in Williams' second season at the helm, as his team distances itself further and further from the disappointments of '03-04, and moves closer to contending for a national championship.

"Last year, I don't think we would've won a ballgame like this," May said. "I don't think we would've been tough enough."