UNC Basketball: What to Expect This Season

The UNC basketball team is looking to make some noise this season. Here’s what you can expect from the Tar Heels this year.

Introduction

The UNC men’s Basketball team is coming off a successful season in which they made it to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament This year, the team is looking to build on that success and make a run at the National Championship Led by senior guard Cameron Johnson, the Tar Heels have the talent and experience to make a deep run in the tournament.

In addition to Johnson, the Tar Heels have several other players who are capable of leading the team to victory. Senior forward Luke Maye is a versatile player who can score inside and out. Junior guard Seventh Woods is an explosive athlete who can provide a spark off the bench. And freshman forward Nassir Little is one of the top recruits in the country and has the potential to be a star player for UNC.

With a talented roster and a tough schedule, UNC will have their work cut out for them this season. But if they can play up to their potential, they could find themselves cutting down the nets at the end of the year.

The Team

This season, the team is led by Coach Williams, who is entering his 18th season with the Tar Heels The team has a strong core of returning players, including seniors Joel Berry II, Theo Pinson and Kenny Williams. In addition to these experienced leaders, the Tar Heels have a talented group of newcomers, including freshman guard Coby White and forward Leaky Black With a mix of veterans and newcomers, the Tar Heels are poised for another Successful Season

The Schedule

The 2017-2018 North Carolina Tar Heels men’s Basketball Schedule was released on September 8th, and there are some interesting games to note.

The Tar Heels will open the season on November 10th at home against Northern Iowa followed by a road game against Stanford on November 12th. After that, UNC will have a string of home games against lesser known teams like Elon, Radford, and Davidson.

Although the match-ups aren’t as highly anticipated as in years past, there are still some notable games on the schedule. On December 16th, the Tar Heels will host conference rival Maryland. This will be the first time these two teams have met since 2014.

In late December and early January, UNC will travel to Hawaii to participate in the Diamond Head Classic tournament. This year’s field includes Oregon State Akron, Houston, and UNLV.

UNC’s first ACC game will be at home against Boston College on January 3rd. The Tar Heels will then go on the road to take on Virginia Tech and Florida State before returning home to face Notre Dame on January 17th. You can view the full schedule here.

The Roster

This season, the UNC basketball team will have a deep and experienced roster. With several Key Players returning from last year’s squad, and a few talented newcomers joining the mix, the Tar Heels should be able to compete at a high level. Here’s a look at some of the players who will be suiting up for UNC this season:

-Senior point guard Joel Berry II is the team’s leader and most experienced player. He averaged over 14 points per game last season and will be counted on to provide scoring and playmaking again this year.
-Sophomore wing Kenny Williams is another returning starter. He showed flashes of potential as a freshman and should be even better as a sophomore.
-Junior forward Luke Maye was one of the biggest surprises last season, emerging as a key contributor off the bench. He should see increased playing time this year and could be in line for a starting role.
-Freshman guard Coby White is one of the most highly-touted recruits in recent years He’s an explosive scorer who should add instant offense to the Tar Heels’ lineup.
-Senior forward Cam Johnson is a transfer from Pitt who will provide outside shooting and veteran leadership.
-Freshman center Armando Bacot is a big body who can rebound and block shots He’ll add much-needed size and athleticism to UNC’s frontcourt rotation.

The Coaching Staff

UNC’s Head Coach is Roy Williams He is coming into his 18th season with the Tar Heels In his time at UNC, Williams has led the team to 3 National Championships 9 ACC tournament titles, and 13 ACC regular season titles. He has been named National Coach of the Year 3 times and acc coach of the Year 8 times. His 879 wins are the most in UNC history and rank 4th all-time among NCAA Division I coaches.

Joining him on the sidelines this season are Associates head coach Steve Robinson and assistant coaches Hubert Davis Brad Frederick, and Jeremiah Washburn.

Robinson is in his 16th season with UNC and his 28th as a collegiate coach. He was a part of Williams’ first National Championship team in 2005 and has been a part of 2 more since then.

Davis is entering his 4th season with the Tar Heels and his 12th as a collegiate coach. Prior to coming to UNC, he spent 8 years as an Assistant Coach at Texas.

Frederick is in his 2nd season with UNC after spending last season as an assistant coach at Appalachian State

Washburn is also in his 2nd season with UNC after spending last season as an assistant coach at Marshall University

The Fans

There’s no question that UNC fans are some of the most passionate in college basketball Every game is a sellout, and the student section is always going wild. Expect the fans to be a big factor in this season’s success.

The Media

It’s been a whirlwind offseason for the North Carolina Basketball team After winning the National Championship in 2017, the Tar Heels lost several key players to the NBA draft including Justin Jackson and Theo Pinson. Joel Berry II, the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, is also gone, leaving a big hole in UNC’s backcourt.

Despite all of the personnel changes, UNC is still expected to be one of the best teams in the country. The Tar Heels are ranked No. 9 in the preseason AP poll and they have a talented roster that includes several returnees and some highly touted newcomers.

Here’s a look at what to expect from UNC Basketball this season:

The Opposition

As the college Basketball season approaches, UNC fans are both hopeful and anxious. The team has a lot of potential but also some clear weaknesses. In this article, we’ll take a look at the opposition UNC will face this season and what to expect from each team.

The Opposition
The first team on UNC’s schedule is the Wofford Terriers The Terriers are a mid-major team from South Carolina that went 21-13 last season and lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Wofford is a solid team, but they’re not expected to be a serious threat to UNC. The next opponent is a bit more daunting: the Georgetown Hoyas

Georgetown is a historic Basketball Program that has fallen on hard times in recent years They went 15-17 last season and have not made the NCAA tournament since 2015. That said, Georgetown always seems to give UNC trouble and they will be looking to make a statement in this game. After Georgetown, UNC will have a string of games against lower-level opposition before their annual showdown with Duke.

The Predictions

We asked ESPN’s college basketball experts — Joe Lunardi, Jeff Borzello and Dan Dakich — for their predictions on UNC’s season. Here’s what they had to say:

“UNC will be in the mix for a top-four seed in the NCAA tournament come March.” – Joe Lunardi

“The Tar Heels will be right there with Duke and Virginia at the top of the ACC standings.” – Jeff Borzello

” UNC will be one of the most talented teams in the country and should contend for a spot in the Final Four.” – Dan Dakich

Conclusion

Now that you know a little more about the team, their strengths and weaknesses, it’s time to make your predictions for the season. How do you think they’ll do? Do you think they have what it takes to make it to the NCAA tournament? Let us know in the comments below!