North Carolina coach Roy Williams said it’s a coincidence that sophomore shooting guard Reggie Bullock has been asked to guard the opposition’s top scorer in his first two starts.

But it sure has worked out well so far.

Bullock, who joined the Tar Heels’ opening five after junior Dexter Strickland tore the ACL in his right knee at Virginia Tech on Jan. 19, is quickly proving that he is more than a sharpshooter.

Thursday, he held NC State’s top threat, Scott Wood, to a 4-for-12 outing -- including 0-for-3 during UNC’s breakaway first half.

Then against Georgia Tech on Sunday, he was the primary defender on Glen Rice Jr., who was averaging 15.8 points per game in ACC play. Rice was suffering from a toe injury, but Bullock helped frustrate him further into a four-point performance.

Bullock also scored in double figures (11 points) in each of those games, but it was his play on the other end of the court that took top billing.

“His defense is underrated,’’ point guard Kendall Marshall said. “People have always known Reggie is a good shooter … but now, they have to pay attention to his defense, too.”

Bullock acknowledges he isn’t as fast as Strickland, who was the team’s best perimeter defender. But at 6-foot-7, ”I know my length bothers the people I’m guarding,” he said. “So I can use that to get a hand in their face and change what they do.”

The athlete from Kinston, N.C., said he decided to make defense a focus at the end of last season, when knee surgery cut his freshman year short. He said it was during his time on the sideline that he promised himself he would become a better all-around player in order to improve his team.

And some of his offensive struggles this season, in Williams’ opinion, actually helped.

“He had a couple of games where his shots just didn’t go in. … And I told him, ‘Well, you’re doing other things to allow me to keep you in the game,’’’ Williams said during Monday’s ACC conference call. “I think two games where he did shoot it really poorly, he had 13 rebounds in those two games [against Boston College and Miami]. So I wanted to encourage him to keep playing, and not judge his worth on whether or not his shot went in.

“And I think he bought into that, and he continued to work on the defensive end and continued to do some things for us on the backboards. And now, I think he’s being more productive because of those time periods earlier.”

Here's another defensive difference between Bullock and his predecessor, though: Williams said the coaching staff isn’t quite as comfortable letting Bullock guard point guards, as Strickland could. At least, not quite yet.

“But we hope we get to the point that Reggie will be able to cover any of the perimeter players, and we do want him to consider himself a defensive player. But I also want Harrison [Barnes] and P.J. [Hairston] to feel that way too,’’ Williams said. “Right now, Reggie is feeling better about it, and accomplishing it better. I don’t know which comes first.”

As long as his defensive confidence (and shut-downs) continue, starting with Tuesday’s game at Wake Forest, it probably doesn't matter.

Bullock enters his third start averaging 8.6 points and 4.4 rebounds, and could face yet another team’s leading scorer if he’s tabbed to cover Demon Deacon guard C.J. Harris, who is averaging 17.3 ppg.

But the sophomore seems undaunted by his new defensive spotlight, even if it is a coincidence that he keeps drawing the toughest perimeter competition.

“I know what I’m capable of doing -- playing defense and knocking down shots and rebounding, just being a team player,’’ Bullock said. “So I just try to carry that over.”

Follow Robbi Pickeral on Twitter at @bylinerp.