UNC Basketball: 5 Early storylines for 2018-19 season

Development of post players

The loss of Isaiah Hicks, Kennedy Meeks, and Tony Bradley Jr. showed during the 2017-18 season as the Tar Heels struggled in the post. We weren’t used to seeing UNC struggle in the post like that but now it provides an opportunity for underclassmen to step up next season.

Williams brought in three post players in his 2017 recruiting class with Sterling Manley, Brandon Huffman, and Garrison Brooks.

Early on it was a struggle for the Tar Heels in the paint. Brooks was listed as the starter at the five position but Williams was forced to make some changes to his starting lineup and go small.

As the year went on, we saw some improvements from both Manley and Brooks. The hope is that at least two of the post players take major strides in 2018-19 and become dominant.

Even with the struggles at times,  UNC still dominated the rebounding category. They finished the season No. 1 in rebounds per game (42.4), No. 1 in total rebounds (1,570),  No. 3 in rebounding margin (9.6),  and No. 7 in offensive rebounds per game (13.81).  They did that with Luke Maye starting at the four and three freshmen rotating at center.

With Maye back this season, the importance of a really good center is important. It would allow UNC to stretch the floor a little more with Maye on the perimeter. The forward has the ability to drain shots from the three-point line, forcing defenses to come out on him.

The likely candidate for a breakout season is Manley. The 6-foot-10 Manley showed some signs of improvement and received valuable playing time down the stretch in the NCAA Tournament and ACC Tournament.

Brooks also showed some signs of improvement. The former four-star recruit could be a really good rebounder and scorer in the post.