Departing Monday night with a win was the priority, but the North Carolina Tar Heels' performance against Western Carolina was far from ideal.

Being pushed to the brink in the home opener against an inferior opponent was embarrassing and jarring. The Tar Heels were exposed on multiple fronts, and those issues must be resolved as the non-conference schedule progresses. With that in mind, here are multiple aspects I'm watching for on Friday night when North Carolina hosts Wofford.

Improving in the Rebounding Department

One of the many glaring weaknesses the Tar Heels had in the season opener was the inability to control the glass. They were outrebounded 41-32 and allowed 13 offensive rebounds. That was the Achilles heel in the preseason, and depending on what happens with Cameron Fens' eligibility, this could be a season-long issue for North Carolina.

During his postgame presser, head coach Michael Malone mentioned Sayon Keita and Jarin Stevenson for their lack of production on the glass. The starting frontcourt combined for four rebounds. That's not good enough, especially against a team like Western Carolina. Will the coaching staff make alterations to the starting lineup and/or rotation to combat this problem?

Maximo Adams' Role

With 11 newcomers in the rotation, we really don't know what to expect from this group. That said, the anticipation surrounding the freshman forward throughout the offseason was immense. Those lofty expectations from Malone and Tar Heel fans were justified on Monday night when Adams was one of the best players.

Despite coming off the bench, the 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward produced 10 points and four rebounds while shooting 3-of-5 from the field and 2-of-4 from three-point range. There were stretches when Adams played with the starting lineup. This is the portion of the schedule where the coaching staff should experiment with the personnel and rotation. Depending on how this game unfolds, Malone could deploy a small-ball lineup with Adams at the four and Stevenson at the five.

Will the Tar Heels Adjust Offensive Game Plan?

North Carolina's low efficiency has been a constant variable throughout the preseason, carrying over into Monday night. There are a couple of reasons for the offense's struggles.

First, the ball sticks too much. This offense is predicated on player movement, which is a good thing. However, this group is still getting acclimated to each other, so we've seen guards and wings bumped off-ball screens, derailing the play. This occurred on several occasions, causing the facilitator on that specific play to dribble the ball for at least 10 seconds.

Secondly, the Tar Heels have been too reliant on the three-ball. That was glaringly apparent against Western Carolina, as they shot 9-of-30 from three-point range. Even when shots weren't falling from the perimeter, North Carolina continued to fire away, neglecting the mid-range and post game. While Malone might want this to be the foundation of the offense, adjustments are needed if the team's struggles from beyond the arc continue.