The Blue Blood North Carolina Tar Heels find themselves in a very familiar territory in the top ten. Roy Williams has been here many times before and will have the light blue of North Carolina ready to compete against Duke and the rest of the ACC. The Tar Heels finished 4th in the ACC last year with an overall record of 26-11 and an ACC record of 11-7.
The UNC Tar Heels lost some key figures and leaders, but have a deeply experienced team that will get a talented infusion of youth. The ACC will be very deep with nine or ten teams competing for the NCAA Tournament again. The Tar Heels should be competing heavy for a top three finish in the stacked ACC this year.
MALIK MONK = CLUTCH
LUKE MAYE = CLUTCHER#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/VTyAKUYuWe
— Def Pen Sports (@DefPenSports) March 26, 2017
Key Returners
- Luke Maye
- Cameron Johnson
- Kenny Williams
- Seventh Woods
- Sterling Manley
Luke Maye will be a key figure for the UNC Tar Heels this year and could make another run at an ACC first team bid like his successful junior season. The former walk-on at Carolina will see himself become the main leader on the court for Roy Williams. Cameron Johnson like Luke Maye decided to come back for his last season at Carolina. The Pittsburgh Panther transfer will have a second year at Carolina and plans to make his case for going to the pros. Johnson will be a key forward for the Tar Heels with his scoring and rebounding ability. Kenny Williams will be another key starter in his final year in Chapel Hill. the shooting guard will have to be a key three-point shooter for the Tar Heels this year and a senior presence.
Seventh Woods has had a rough time while paying for the Tar Heels. Plagued by injury and inconsistent playing time the point guard will need to take a serious step up this year. Roy Williams ran teams are more effective with two primary ball handlers that get sufficient minutes are on the team. Woods must be one of those two players if the Tar Heels are planning on doing business as usual. Sterling Manley emerged last year as a potential candidate for the next Roy Williams big man at Carolina, and his defensive presence will be a talented skill to add to the starting lineup. Manley should be a great rebounder and paint protector in his second year with the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Key Losses
- Joel Berry II
- Theo Pinson
The Carolina faithful lost two beloved seniors this past offseason in Joel Berry and Theo Pinson. The two Tar Heels saw glorious moments of victory and devastating moments of loss in their time at Chapel Hill. Joel Berry has moved on with the Los Angeles Lakers and has left a serious hole in the Carolina rotation. The point guard was the leading scorer last year for the Tar Heels and the primary ball handler as well. Theo Pinson has moved on to an opportunity with the Brooklyn Nets and leaves an equally large hole in the Carolina rotation behind him. Theo was a stat sheet stuffer for Carolina leading the team in assists, second in rebounds along with double-digit scoring figures. Pinson also provided amazing defense and solid ball handling. The Tar Heels will need new leaders and starters with the departure of seniors Theo Pinson and Joel Berry.
Key Newcomers
- Nassir Little
- Coby White
- Rechon Black
The North Carolina Tar Heels are bringing in a small, but a talented class of freshmen. The class was good enough for second in the ACC and 14th overall in the NCAA. The headliner of the class is Nassir Little who ranks third in the 2018 class. The small forward is a rare sight for Chapel Hill because he is heavily believed to be a “one and done” prospect. The insanely talented wing player should dominate in Chapel Hill and with Duke being loaded with a top talent class he could steal ACC Freshman of the year.
Coby White has often been overlooked, but the fellow five-star combo guard is likely to take over for Joel Berry at the lead guard position. White may or may not be at Carolina for more than a year, but the guard should make an impact regardless. He could very likely beat out Seventh Woods for the starting role. Rechon Black is a talented four-star forward that will likely win the hearts of fans in Chapel Hill for several years. Black will likely come off the bench his first year and provide solid impact off of it. The class is exactly the infusion of youth that Roy Williams needed to chase down his fourth championship in 2018.
Projected Starting Five
- Coby White
- Kenny Williams
- Nassir Little
- Luke Maye
- Sterling Manley
North Carolina Tar Heels Season Outlook
The North Carolina Tar Heels are a blue blood and will be a National Championship contender once again this year. The experience mixed with talented youth should make the Tar Heels a contender near the top of a stacked ACC. Roy Williams has been in this position before and knows exactly what to do.
The Tar Heels have a good mix of experience and young talent in their roster. The ACC will be tough again this year, but the Tar Heels will be competitive and near the top of the conference again this year. The Tar Heels will compete with Duke and Virginia for the ACC regular season title with any of the three teams having a serious shot at winning. The ACC Tournament is a virtual toss-up, but North Carolina should continue its streak of deep runs and could win the ACC Championship. Seventh Woods may not end up being the starter for Roy Williams, but his play will be vital to Carolina in his critical junior season. Luke Maye and Cameron Johnson will be the leaders to guide Carolina this year. The team could even make a deep run into the NCAA Tournament once again.
The path through the ACC is never an easy one, but the Tar Heels have depth, talent, and experience to weather the talented storm. The UNC Tar Heels will likely be a top-three seed in the ACC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.
