North Carolina’s Five Most Important Players For 2014-15

5. Isaiah Hicks

A productive sixth man providing needed minutes and points off the bench is one of the most valued pieces in any contender’s national championship run, and Hicks has the opportunity to fill that spot nicely for the Tar Heels in 2014-15.

The 6-foot-8, 230-pound sophomore arrived in Chapel Hill last season with raw athletic ability, as well as plenty of hype. But the former McDonald’s All-American often looked lost on the court last year, as head coach Roy Williams and his staff seemed to make Hicks a guinea pig of sorts, searching for Hicks’ most effective position.

The result brought about a miniscule 1.2 points and one rebound a game average in just over seven minutes of playing time per contest. This year, though, Hicks has moved back to the natural power forward spot that made him of the country’s more coveted recruits.

A more comfortable Hicks averaged 14.8 points and nearly five rebounds in North Carolina’s four preseason games, and his size and athleticism could translate into an effective defender inside and on the perimeter.  For a team that searched for consistent scoring options a season ago not named Marcus Paige, it could have some extra punch with Hicks.