It won’t always be as easy as it was Sunday night for North Carolina forward Brice Johnson and center Kennedy Meeks. After all, Robert Morris was woefully undersized in the post. Even playing zone defense against the Tar Heels didn’t help mask its deficiency.

Johnson scored a game-high 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting in the No. 6 Tar Heels' 103-59 victory. Meeks made his first six field goal attempts and scored 21 points with a game-high 12 rebounds.

But their performances were as much a function of their growth as it was simply taking advantage of a weaker opponent.

“I guess it just comes with experience with me and him being there a lot last year,” Johnson said. “… It carried over to this year -- it’s just gotten a lot better.”

Johnson has led the team in scoring in both games this season, including just 12 against N.C. Central. Meeks has been the second-leading scorer in both games, including 10 points and nine rebounds in the opener.

Any prediction of where the Heels can end up this season includes the scenario where the tandem of Johnson and Meeks are playing at a high level.

​“Since last year they have been offensive go-to guys,” junior J.P. Tokoto said. “… They finish pretty much everything. It takes about two to three guys to get them stopped and it results in a foul most of the time, so they are going to be very, very [instrumental] to our success.”

Guard Marcus Paige said the team even talked about as much identifying their frontcourt scoring as one of the keys to their season.

“They’ve shown that they can do it and they’re willing to do it,” Paige said. “I mean that’s big for our team. If they can keep up -- maybe not 20 [points] and 12 [rebounds] every night, but this level of production -- against quality opponents then we’re going to be pretty happy with that.”

Carolina was undefeated last season in the seven games both Johnson and Meeks scored double figures -- including two of its biggest wins of the season against Louisville and Michigan State.

Meeks singled out the Louisville game for when the pair really learned how to complement each other’s play. It was the first games where both played extended minutes in the same lineup.

“That’s when we really started clicking with the high-low and him cutting to the basket and me being in the short corner,” Meeks said.

He added that both take pride in their ability to make interior passes and they’re always looking for each other. Two of Johnson’s three assists against RMU came in passes to Meeks and the lone assist for Meeks was a dish to Johnson.

It’s one of the reasons their results can’t be easily dismissed by the level of competition. Paige said the high-low that Meeks and Johnson worked would be effective against all zones they might face.

“That passing can be done against bigger, more athletic guys as well,” Paige said. “It’s an unselfishness and a willingness to throw the ball inside a lot. That’s not going to change.”

Coach Roy Williams hopes nothing changes from their fast start. Both Johnson and Meeks have the talent to rank among the best big men during his tenure at Carolina. They could be out to prove it this season.

“What we have to do is see that over the course of the season,” Williams said. “I thought last year those guys had some good games -- some really good games -- every now and then. But it’s got to be on a consistent basis like Tyler Zeller, John Henson, Tyler Hansbrough and Sean May. Those guys [gave] it to you every night.”