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

3. Justin Jackson

Last season, it wasn’t difficult to spot maybe the heaviest anchor weighing down North Carolina’s offense.

The Tar Heels constantly searched to find a consistent perimeter scoring threat, but their mission came up empty other than Paige, who accounted for 59 percent of UNC’s baskets from beyond the arc. North Carolina connected on a pedestrian 33.6 percent of its long-range attempts, good enough to rank 209th nationally, with its only other legitimate 3-point option coming in the streaky and now graduated Leslie McDonald.

Outside of Paige, the returnees to this year’s squad managed only 59 tries and connected on just 12 (20.3 percent), and if the Tar Heels hope to have visions of a national championship materialize, they will have to find another true deep-shooting threat. Jackson may be the player to fill the obvious void.

The 6-foot 8, 193-pound freshman was Co-MVP of the McDonald’s All-Star Game finishing with 23 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the floor. In UNC’s four exhibition games, Jackson averaged 15 points while hitting on 25-of-35 floor attempts (71.4 percent), including 50 percent from 3-point range.

If Jackson can approach those numbers consistently throughout the Tar Heels’ campaign, the scoring potential for Meeks and Johnson could be heightened, with defenses unable to collapse on North Carolina’s inside tandem.

More importantly, some of the weight Paige had to carry on his shoulders a season ago could be lifted.