The preseason performances didn't meet the expectations and anticipation surrounding the North Carolina Tar Heels this offseason.

Tuesday night was the Tar Heels' final exhibition game, and they were tested by Charlotte in an 89-82 overtime win. Quite frankly, North Carolina was fortunate the game even went into overtime. An already embarrassing performance would have been even worse if the Tar Heels lost. A major reason North Carolina was in a tight battle throughout the game was the team's awful start.

During his postgame press conference, head coach Michael Malone was asked what contributed to the slow start and why that needs to improve immediately.

Malone's Thoughts

• “Our guys looked a little nervous, a little shook out there," Malone said. "There were some plays in that first half that looked like the Keystone Cops. I mean, we couldn’t dribble, we couldn’t pass, we couldn’t shoot."

• "We still have not won a first half," Malone continued. "We’re 0 for 3 in the first half. We lost to Indiana. We lost to USC. We lost to Charlotte, and the fact that we were only down three at halftime was a miracle because we played around 15 minutes of really bad basketball. We closed the half, and I like the fact that we just stayed with it. We stayed with it, and we found a way. So, but yeah, lots to clean up.”

How Concerning Is This Development?

Last season, under Hubert Davis, North Carolina was prone to starting games extremely slowly, and that has been the case in the three preseason games. Against Charlotte, the Tar Heels opened the game missing eight of their first 10 shots and went through five minutes without a made field goal.

For Tar Heel fans, it can be easy to panic about this trend stretching into the regular season, but it's important to remember that the roster contains 11 new players and a new head coach. This will take time. That said, North Carolina's weaknesses need to be worked out during the non-conference portion of the schedule before ACC play begins.

Given the personnel, the Tar Heels should turn a corner at some point this season. The sense of urgency is high, as North Carolina has been eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons. Regardless, the Tar Heels' offense will be the catalyst for the team's success, especially if rebounding is an issue moving forward.