The North Carolina Tar Heels pounded Portland 102-78 Thursday to help kick off the PK 80 Tournament in Oregon, continuing their impressive form early this season.

After edging Gonzaga in the national championship game last year, North Carolina immediately started looking forward to this season despite suffering a roster gutting. Few teams lost as much talent as the Tar Heels, but they received great news when star point guard Joel Berry II decided to stay for his senior season.

Berry scored 18 points with three rebounds Thursday, directing North Carolina's efficient offense that shot 50 percent from the field.

Luke Maye broke out for the Tar Heels last season, providing bench scoring and leadership on their championship run. The versatile forward scored a game-high 20 points with 10 rebounds against Portland — his second 20-point, 10-rebound game this season — proving he's more than a one-hit wonder.

North Carolina has been scoring at an impressive rate with senior Theo Pinson and junior guard Kenny Williams stepping up their production. Williams, a former highly-touted recruit, was forced to wait for his opportunity behind established stars. He could be North Carolina's breakout performer this season.

While North Carolina's freshman class wasn't as ballyhooed as years past, seemingly lacking a pure instant star, it was compiled of intriguing pieces that have played well early this season. Freshman guard Andrew Platek scored a career-high 12 points Thursday.

Currently ranked ninth in the nation, North Carolina should continue to climb with more high-scoring efforts.