The 2019-20 North Carolina Tar Heels (UNC) are as big a question mark as any team in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) this year. After a disappointing loss to Auburn in the Sweet 16 of last year’s NCAA Tournament, Tar Heels fans have plenty of questions this year. Luckily, Roy Williams was able to attract some big-name recruits to offset big losses.
North Carolina Tar Heel’s Tough Task
UNC was fortunate enough to have a very consistent roster for the last few years, but that all changes this year. Tar Heels fans will certainly be putting their programs to good use at games trying to decipher all the new faces.
The Tar Heels lost an unprecedented five players who played more than 18 minutes per game, including four starters that led the team in every statistical category. Luke Maye, Cameron Johnson, Coby White, and Kenny Williams all played crucial roles in UNC’s success last year, but have all moved on to pursue professional opportunities.
Meet the Returners
The most notable returner is Garrison Brooks. Brooks is the only starter to return and the only payer that averaged more than 12 minutes per game. Brooks is a decent big man who makes his presence felt on the glass and with his athleticism. He fits the Roy Williams rim-running big man role. UNC will hope he develops a consistent face-up jumper and some resemblance of a post-game.
The only other returners of note are Rechon “Leaky” Black, Brandon Robinson, and Andrew Platek. Black was mostly a defensive presence last year and that will continue this year. Platek is able to provide short spurts off the bench with plenty of energy and a good outside shot. Robinson has some scoring ability as a slasher off the wing. Towards the end of the season, he consistently played ten minutes per game, but do not expect him to score double figures.
Needless to say, UNC has massive shoes to fill this season. To put statistics behind it, they are replacing 66.3 points per game, 18.3 rebounds per game, and 10.4 assists per game, as well as invaluable experience at the college level. So, how will they do it?
Meet the New Faces
The North Carolina Tar Heels bring in the ninth-ranked recruiting class in the nation, led by Cole Anthony, son of NBA legend Greg Anthony. Cole Anthony has superstar written all over him. He has a great ability to get to the rim and make plays for others, as well as a microwave-like scoring ability. Anthony needs to continue to develop as a jump-shooter and find a consistent stroke to reach the next level of his game.
The other big name in the Tar Heels class is Armando Bacot. Bacot is the prototypical UNC forward that can run the floor and rebound. Bacot also has shown a decent face-up ability. He should fit well next to Brooks and help UNC outrebound every team they play.
The other two pieces to the class are Anthony Harris and Jeremiah Francis. Harris is a combo guard who originally committed to Virginia Tech but followed Buzz Williams out the door. He adds plenty of toughness and some scoring. Francis and Harris will step into the role that Black and Robinson played last year, essentially just giving the starters a breather.
UNC also adds two graduate transfers. First, Justin Pierce transferred from William & Mary where he averaged nearly 15 points per game over the last two seasons. He is a great all-around player coming off his best season of 14.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. Pierce should seamlessly transition to the up-tempo style of Roy Williams and fill a void left by Cameron Johnson.
Christian Keeling also enters as a graduate transfer. Keeling is an electric scorer with several games scoring more than 20 points last season. He will try to fill the void left by Coby White and certainly has the tools to do so.
How the Returning Players and Incoming Players Fit
Clearly, Coach Williams has to piece together a new team and find a way to create chemistry quickly. The starters will most likely be Anthony, Keeling, Pierce, Bacot, and Brooks, with significant minutes off the bench for Robinson, Black, Harris, and Sterling Manley.
This is certainly new for the Tar Heels, who typically return at least one or two significant players each year. Cole Anthony should help to smooth the transition from last year to this year, but they will undoubtedly hit some road bumps.
The Tar Heels should ease into the season, but starting on January 27th, they face Alabama, Ohio State, Virginia, Gonzaga, UCLA, and Yale over the course of one month. Everyone will understand much more about the team following that stretch of tough games.
Preseason Prediction for the North Carolina Tar Heels in the ACC
The North Carolina Tar Heels will finish in the top five of the ACC as always, but they make take more losses than usual this year. They seem to be clearly behind Duke, Virginia, and Louisville. Look for the Tar Heels to find themselves near the four-seed line in March, but as always, anything can happen.
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