In the first two men's basketball exhibition games for No. 1 North Carolina, sophomore guard Wayne Ellington's individual progress appeared limited.

Those were the initial games of any kind of for this year's team. Many of the players were somewhat hesitant in the exhibition opener against Shaw, when UNC won 114-62. Try as it might, Lenior-Rhyne could not serve as any better competition in the second one, 107-52.

Carolina was far from smooth in the exhibition games, even in lopsided blowouts. Without Brandon Wright, the natural evolution of individuals and a need to form a new fit with kids playing different roles, it's easy to see there would be some rough edges.

Ellington, in particular, looked too much like he had during the final stretch of his freshman year. His game had grown stale during that stretch. He feel in love with three-point shots, when, in fact, he's a scorer more than just a shooter.

In Wednesday's game against Davidson, the evening turned into a stage for several players, none more so than Ellington.

He reverted, and built on, the style of game he utilized in high school and club-team ball to earn his reputation and his invitation to become a Tar Heel.

Rather than take poor shots off the dribble from beyond the three-point line so often, he drove. He mixed his shot selection, and he ... well ... he made some actual selections, rather than just fire when the feeling grabbed him.

The kid from Philadelphia went 8-of-13 from the floor, 3-of-4 from the free-throw line, and most important, he performed in a smooth, confident, relaxed manner, a style that could be the deciding factor for this club as the season progresses -- if he can continue to repeat the swing, to use a golf analogy.

"Wayne was big-time for us. That's the Wayne Ellington that I think we're going to have all year long," UNC coach Roy Williams said."

The No. 1-ranked Tar Heels (1-0) will play 0-2 Iona at 6 tonight in the second game of the season after defeating Davidson 72-68 in the opener on Wednesday in Charlotte.

Carolina is scheduled to play South Carolina State at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Smith Center and then travel to Las Vegas next weekend for a tournament.

A luxury for the Tar Heels would be to have Ellington drive enough to shoot four to eight free throws a night. Then, he could mix in his mid-range and three-point games to make himself nearly impossible to guard.

Against Davidson, he certainly appeared to shoot the long-range ball with a better, more-confident stroke after he scored closer to the bucket.

He had one spectacular -- and particularly effective bucket -- when he stepped forward and then bounced back to drill a reasonably lengthy shot with as much confidence as any Tar Heel has ever shot the ball.

There were other significant contributors.

Bobby Frasor is healthy and back from a foot injury. He is making a huge impact for this team.

Right now the best lineup is with Danny Green playing power forward. He is rebounding, scoring, playing defense and minimizing some of the mistakes that even make Green blush at times.

If the kids on this team pass the ball with the idea of getting the best possible shot, and if they pass the ball with the idea of making simple passes, not risky attempts, and they play defense with passion, the top-ranked Tar Heels will be a genuinely difficult bunch to defeat. Not impossible, mind you, but painfully tough for most teams.

Given Tyler Hanbrough's strengths and experience, Tywon Lawson's ability, the steady production and leadership from Marcus Ginyard and the eventual emergence of Deon Thompson and Alex Thompson to go with the other kids, this team has all the potential in the world.

Given everyone stays healthy and keeps their minds in the games, Ellington could be the guy that could push this team over the edge and on toward a national championship. He knows what he needs to do. Now he must go out and actually do it on a consistent basis.

Right after he made the semifinal cut for the Pan American team this summer, Ellington explained his plan. In effect, he described a style that later proved to be exactly the one he showed in the second half against Davidson.

"I've been working on getting stronger in the weight room," he said at the time. "I've also been working on getting to the basket in the pick-up games and creating for my teammates. I'm also trying to be more consistent with my shot.

"I want to get into the lane, create more and get to the free-throw line."

When he did that last week against the Wildcats, it was like watching a nature show on television in which the camera captures the blooming of a flower over time but shows it at a time-lapse rate that enables viewers to see how the process actually unfolds.

The key for Carolina and Ellington is going to be whether that performance is the beginning of a pattern, or a second-half surge on a given night. If he continues to bloom without confusing his importance with Hansbrough's, UNC will be on its way to a memorable season.