North Carolina has the depth, talent to go a long way

	Tyler Hansbrough scored 16 points in 34 minutes to help UNC to its second consecutive win at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Kevin C. Cox/WireImage
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DURHAM, N.C. -- For all the tension, drama and shifting momentum in Wednesday night's North Carolina-Duke game at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the game saw but a single lead change. It occurred with 5:15 to play, when North Carolina senior forward Reyshawn Terry's layup gave the Tar Heels a 62-60 lead.

The clock indicated there was still plenty of time left, but Terry's bucket might as well have been called the game-winner. Because if there's one thing this North Carolina team is built for, it's to win the last five minutes. That's when the Tar Heels took over en route to a 79-73 victory.

As yourself a question: What exactly does UNC excel at? The Heels can be devastating in transition, but force them to run a half-court offense and they look rather mortal. They are not a great defensive team by any stretch, though they're much better than they were at the start of the season. And of course, they are not experienced, with a starting lineup that features three freshmen and a sophomore.

This team's singular strength is its depth. That was the difference -- again -- on Wednesday night, when Roy Williams deployed his usual 12 players, with nine getting double-figure minutes and only Tyler Hansbrough playing more than 30. Mike Krzyzewski, on the other hand, used just eight players before the final minute, three of whom played 30-plus. His backcourt of Greg Paulus and Jon Scheyer played a combined 75 out of a possible 80 minutes.

So when the game entered those crucial last five minutes, the Heels knew they were in control. Terry's basket sparked a 10-3 run that gave them the breathing room they needed to come away with the win. "I was on the bench for a while in the second half, so I felt fresh at the end," said freshman point guard Ty Lawson, who scored nine of his 15 points in the final six minutes. "I think that's what helps us. They were hitting everything in the first half, but they weren't hitting shots down the stretch. I thought we wore them down."

"The depth that they have means they never take a break," Krzyzewski said. "When they're playing like that, you have to be incredibly resilient."

Both Scheyer and Paulus refused to concede they were tired down the stretch -- "In this game there's no excuse. We had chances to make plays, but we stopped attacking," Paulus said -- but from my vantage point sitting courtside, it was obvious the Heels had the fresher legs. The evidence is all over the box score. Duke was 9 for 9 from the foul line in the first half, but made just 3 of 10 in the second. North Carolina shot 44.1 percent in the first half, 59.3 percent in the second. All 10 of the Heels' fast break points came after halftime. Duke was plus-two on the boards in the first half, minus-eight in the second.