Before a sloppy second half, Brice Johnson and the Tar Heels made it look easy against East Carolina. ROBERT WILLETT

CHAPEL HILL — It didn’t feel like a loss. Not all the way, at least. But North Carolina’s 93-87 victory against East Carolina didn’t feel all that much like a win, either. There wasn’t all that much to celebrate for the Tar Heels on Saturday at the Smith Center, where UNC survived a late scare – and a load of mistakes – for its eighth victory.

Here’s the story of the game. And here’s the look back:

Updated 6:40 p.m.

CHAPEL HILL — After a win that in some ways felt more like a loss, North Carolina coach Roy Williams entered the interview room in the depths of the Smith Center, sat down and said, “Don’t know where to start.”

Roy Williams isn't ashamed of the Tar Heels' schedule. ROBERT WILLETT

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina has played nine games but what do we really know about the Tar Heels? They lost against Butler and Indiana, the two best teams they’ve played. And in the other seven games, all victories, UNC has rarely been challenged.

The Heels’ 78-55 victory against East Tennessee State was never in doubt, and it came more easily than even the 23-point final margin suggests. UNC looked good at times against ETSU, and the same could be said of the Heels in victories against UAB, Chaminade, Mississippi State and on and on.

UNC’s losses against Butler and Indiana exposed weaknesses. We learned something about the Tar Heels during each of those games. But UNC’s victories have imparted fewer lessons. I asked Roy Williams yesterday about how difficult it is to evaluate victories against inferior competition. Here’s the story. 

North Carolina freshman Brice Johnson has been productive offensively but he's still adjusting to playing in the Tar Heels' man-to-man defense. ROBERT WILLETT

CHAPEL HILL — Through North Carolina’s first nine games, three players have started alongside James Michael McAdoo in the Tar Heels’ frontcourt. Joel James, the freshman forward, was the latest to have that opportunity. Before him, Brice Johnson and Desmond Hubert started, too.

UNC coach Roy Williams made clear on Saturday, after his team’s 78-55 victory against East Tennessee State, that he isn’t close to figuring out who will become the team’s permanent starter alongside McAdoo.

Then again, Williams said he won’t make the decision. The players will.

Updated 11:08 p.m.

CHAPEL HILL — About eight minutes had gone by in what became North Carolina’s 78-55 victory against East Tennessee State on Saturday night when James Michael McAdoo, the Tar Heels’ sophomore forward, glanced at the scoreboard. 

That’s all the No. 20 Tar Heels (7-2) could do against the overmatched Buccaneers (2-5), who scored their fourth point of the game with 12:22 to go before halftime and didn’t score again for more than eight minutes. By then, UNC led 34-7, and it led 42-12 at halftime. 

North Carolina will likely play against Louisville in the Hall of Fame tournament next season. ROBERT WILLETT

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina and Louisville will likely play each other in November 2013 in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament in Uncasville, Conn.

The tournament on Friday announced its eight-team field for next season. In addition to UNC and Louisville, other participants include Fairfield, Richmond, Belmont, Hartford, Hofstra and Holy Cross.

The Tar Heels are in the “Naismith” bracket, which also includes Louisville, Fairfield and Richmond. The “Springfield” bracket is comprised of the other four teams.

UNC will host a pair of tournament games in the Smith Center on Nov. 15 and 17, and then will travel to Uncasville, Conn., for games on Nov. 23 and 24 at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

The Tar Heels three times before have played in the Hall of Fame Game in Springfield, Mass. They did that in 1982 against St. John’s, in 1987 against Syracuse and in 1996 against Arizona.

North Carolina point guard Marcus Paige is expected to play Saturday against East Tennessee State. ROBERT WILLETT

CHAPEL HILL — Marcus Paige, North Carolina’s freshman point guard, is expected to play on Saturday against East Tennessee State. A UNC basketball team spokesman on Friday described Paige’s status as “probable” for the game on Saturday.

UAB hung tough for a while, but North Carolina used a late run to finish with a 102-84 victory on Saturday. ROBERT WILLETT

CHAPEL HILL — It wasn’t often pretty, especially on the defensive end, but North Carolina’s 102-84 victory against UAB here on Saturday night left Tar Heels coach Roy Williams in a better mood than he was in earlier this week, after that ugly loss at Indiana.

Not that that’s saying a lot. A look back at the Heels’ tougher-than-the-score-makes-it-seem victory:

Updated 9:32 p.m.

CHAPEL HILL — This was the kind of response, overall, North Carolina coach Roy Williams wanted to see following a disheartening loss at Indiana earlier in the week. Even so, amid all the good things the Tar Heels did in their 102-84 victory against UAB on Saturday, there were still some moments that drove Williams wild with anger.

UNC guard Reggie Bullock said there has been some finger-pointing during some of the Tar Heels more difficult moments. ROBERT WILLETT

CHAPEL HILL — You’ll recall that after North Carolina’s 83-59 loss at Indiana on Tuesday night, James Michael McAdoo, the Tar Heels’ sophomore forward, said he and his teammates had to work better together on the court.