Five takeaways from UNC basketball's Tuesday night non-conference win over Radford

The North Carolina Tar Heels continued their early-season non-conference slate inside the Dean Dome on Tuesday, welcoming Radford in a battle of 2-0 teams.

Similar to Friday's win against Kansas, UNC struggled in the first half, shooting just over 30 percent and trailing at one point. North Carolina then started to pull away, building a 13-point halftime lead.

The Tar Heels also out-scored the Highlanders in the second half, shot the basketball better and left their home court happy with an 89-74 victory.

Tuesday marked UNC's (3-0) first game without Seth Trimble, who'll miss the rest of non-conference play with a broken bone in his left forearm. Luka Bogavac drew the start and thrived, scoring a North Carolina-best 19 points on 7-of-18 shooting and two made free throws. Bogavac also proved to be the Tar Heels' top perimeter shooter on a cold night, making three of his 11 attempts.

It wouldn't be a UNC game unless Caleb Wilson showed out. Wilson recorded his third double-double in as many games, scoring 13 points and grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds. Henri Veesaar reached double-figures again, while Jarin Stevenson enjoyed his best game at North Carolina (15 points, seven rebounds).

The Tar Heels still have several areas of improvement they need to address, but that's any team three games into their season. Most importantly, UNC got the win and continued building momentum.

North Carolina will face an easier test Friday night in NC Central, which plays just up the road in Durham. For now, read our five takeaways from Tuesday's big win.

Luka Bogavac needs to be in the starting lineup going forward

Expect to see the Tar Heels experiment with Trimble's replacement over the next couple games. Bogavac proved he could be that guy Tuesday night.

Bogavac attempted a UNC-most 18 shots, making seven of them and scoring 19 points. Bogavac made a pair of free throws, added five assists, three rebounds and two steals.

Perimeter shooting regressed and needs to be addressed

North Carolina made just eight of its 31 perimeter attempts, which equates to 25.8 percent. Sure, this figure is okay against weak non-conference opponents, but it'll become a problem come ACC play.

Whether the answer is taking less shots or getting more threes up until finding a rhythm, something has to change from 3-point land.

Jarin Stevenson is a valuable addition

The Tar Heels are a tall team. Veesaar and Wilson might get most of UNC's attention, but there's a third post presence who doesn't get talked about enough: Stevenson.

Initially, North Carolina planned to start Bogavac at the wing and have Stevenson back up Wilson. Stevenson is an early fixture in UNC's starting lineup – and he thrived with a season-best performance Tuesday night.

Stevenson brings height, strong defense and an ability to stretch the floor. Plus, Stevenson grew up in Chapel Hill, so he's living out his childhood dream.

James Brown needs to play more

Veesaar is the Tar Heels' starting center. Hubert Davis is still trying to discover if Zayden High or James Brown is the better backup.

If we're going off Tuesday alone, Brown is the answer. Brown had four points and three rebounds in eight minutes of game time, while High snagged six rebounds, dished out an assist and recorded a steal in nine minutes.

Brown had the opportunity to leave and play elsewhere, but chose to stay at North Carolina and develop within a storied program. High missed last year with an off-court issue, but Davis rewarded him with a roster spot again this season.

Ball movement and chemistry looks great

For a new team with four new starters, UNC sure plays like a team of close friends. The Tar Heels did a great job moving the ball against Radford – whether looking for players cutting into the post, or guys moving around the perimeter.

As North Carolina continues to find its shooting stroke, ball movement will be key.

This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC basketball: Five takeaways from Tuesday night win over Radford