It’s only the 1st week of January. Way too soon to start making definitive statements about what might happen come March.

Let alone the 1st Monday in April.

But at least 2 undeniable conclusions can already be made about this North Carolina basketball team based on what we’ve seen thus far. Both of which were reinforced by what happened on the court at Littlejohn Coliseum on Saturday.

No. 1: This is a significantly different Tar Heels team than the one that played its way out of the NCAA Tournament last season.

And No. 2: If they’re not the best team in the ACC once all is said and done, they’ll at least be prominently mentioned in the conversation.

Hubert Davis’ 8th-ranked team certainly looked the part in taking down No. 16 Clemson 65-55.

The win improved UNC to 11-3 overall and 3-0 in the ACC for the 1st time since 2015-16. It also bolstered a resume that now included 4 Quad 1 victories. Only Purdue, with 5, has more nationally.

As if beating a ranked opponent on the road for its 4th straight win wasn’t impressive enough, the way UNC achieved it makes the result even more notable.

We’re all well aware of how dangerous the Tar Heels can be when they get out into the open court, use their athleticism and overwhelm opponents with their explosive offensive talent.

But that’s the opposite of how this one played out.

It took a physical, gritty, grind-it-out effort that was won as much on the defensive end of the court as on offense. Neither team recorded a fastbreak point. It was a performance that showed the kind of adaptability that can take a team a long way in the postseason.

And it was the most vivid example to date of how much both UNC and its 3rd-year coach have grown.

“This team has been great,” senior guard RJ Davis said after a recent win against Charleston Southern. “In the locker room, in practice, in the games, you can just see the uplift of energy that we bring around each other.”

That wasn’t always the case last year.

There was plenty of energy to go around, mind you. It just wasn’t always the positive kind. Whether it was bad chemistry, a lack of leadership, the weight of high expectations with virtually everyone back from the previous year’s Final 4 team or some other issue, things just never clicked for the Tar Heels in 2022-23.

Although this year’s group is still built upon a familiar foundation of Davis and 5th-year big man Armando Bacot, the vibe of those surrounding them has been completely transformed.

Some of that can be attributed to the process of addition by subtraction.

While it was only 1 of many issues that brought UNC down last season, it was painfully obvious that its backcourt was no longer big enough for both Davis and his long-time running mate Caleb Love.

We won’t go into the reasons for their falling out, which is probably for the best considering some of the rumors surrounding it. Suffice it to say that they were in desperate need of their own space and that a change of scenery has worked out well for both.

Love and his new team, Arizona, are thriving while Davis has blended seamlessly – and without any drama – alongside freshman point guard Elliott Cadeau. He leads the ACC in scoring at 21 points per game and has improved his 3-point shooting percentage by more than 30 points.

Cadeau isn’t the only upgrade on this year’s roster. With all due respect to Leaky Black, Pete Nance, Puff Johnson and others, the current supporting cast is much more talented and versatile than its most recent predecessor.

The arrival of transfers Harrison Ingram from Stanford, Cormac Ryan from Notre Dame and Louisville’s Jae’Lyn Withers has upgraded the level of talent on the Tar Heels’ roster. At the same time, the improvement of holdovers Seth Trimble and Jalen Washington has lengthened their bench.

To Davis’ credit, he’s learned to do a better job of utilizing that depth than in his 1st 2 seasons as UNC’s coach. Seven players logged double-digit minutes in the win at Clemson on Saturday while 2 others played 8 or more.

It had a noticeable effect down the stretch.

The Tar Heels held the Tigers scoreless for the game’s final 5 minutes, running off 7 straight points to turn a close, hard-fought battle into an impressive win. Clemson shot just 32% after halftime to become the 3rd straight opponent they’ve kept below 40% in the 2nd half.

Not only did UNC hold the Tigers to their lowest point total of the season, it forced the 2nd-best 3-point shooting team in the ACC to a 1-of-18 performance from beyond the arc while holding a plus-11 rebounding advantage.

The commitment to defense and toughness the Tar Heels showed – on the road, in a hostile environment against a high-level opponent – should serve as a loud statement to the rest of the ACC and perhaps all of college basketball.

That is, as much of a statement as can be made this early in the season.