UNC Basketball: See how low 247Sports picked UNC to finish ACC play

247Sports’ Way-Too-Early ACC preview picks UNC basketball to finish regular season in fourth-place

The North Carolina Tar Heels lost a bevy of talent and senior leadership following their Sweet 16 loss to the Auburn Tigers last season.

Luke Maye, Kenny Williams and Cameron Johnson all graduated, taking with them 10 years of experience in a North Carolina uniform. Freshmen Coby White and Nassir Little, however, had just begun to scratch the surface when their time in Chapel Hill came to an end — both were selected in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft.

The Tar Heels’ lone remaining starter from last season, Garrison Brooks, has made his presence felt on the defensive end more than anything else. It’s not that he can’t score — he shot better than 57 percent from the floor last season — he’s just never been asked to. And he’s never been a high-volume shooter, either, averaging just 5.6 shot attempts per game for the 2018-19 season. That should change this season, as the junior power forward will be expected to pour in more points for the Tar Heels in the low post.

He’ll get help from fellow big man, Armando Bacot, a 5-star freshman that should start from day one in a North Carolina uniform. The 6-foot-10, 235-pound center will get his fair share of opportunities this season, and his ability to step into that role and flourish will have a major impact on the Tar Heels’ season.

So, too, will the play of graduate transfers Justin Pierce (William & Mary) and Christian Keeling (Charleston Southern). The two seniors played a lot of minutes last season, and put up big numbers for their respective teams. The 6-foot-7, 215-pound Pierce has averaged nearly 15 points and nine rebounds per game over the last two seasons. Keeling, a 6-foot-4, 175-pound shooting guard, averaged just under 19 points and seven rebounds per game while shooting 38 percent from long-range.

Despite all of that, though, it’s the UNC back court — as it often is on a Roy Williams-coached team — that will be expected to shoulder much of the load, and set the pace for the rest of the team. Much of that will land on the shoulders of Cole Anthony, the No. 1 guard in the country who has a 43-inch vertical and a penchant for scoring. He likes the spotlight, though, and doesn’t mind the pressure; he should get plenty of both.

He’ll also get help from returning Tar Heels Brandon Robinson and Leaky Black, a pair of players who’d be starting on most Division 1 teams, but will likely have to fight for minutes on a crowded UNC roster. Anthony and company will be able to rely on top-75 point guard Anthony Harris, a freshman who initially committed to Virginia Tech, but opted for North Carolina when former head coach Buzz Williams took the head coaching job at Texas A&M.

So, that all sounds pretty good, right? The Tar Heels bring back some experience. They add some experience. And they throw some young star-power into the mix. Even in the perennially top-heavy ACC, they field a team that should finish rather high in the standings come March, especially with the Virginia Cavaliers saying goodbye to the top three players off their national championship squad from last season.

Apparently, the folks over at 247Sports don’t think so, as they’ve picked North Carolina to finish behind Duke, Louisville, and yes, Virginia. That’s right. 247Sports projects North Carolina to finish in fourth-place, behind the semi-rebuilt Cavaliers, and just ahead of NC State.

"“Cole Anthony gives the Tar Heels the kind of star power that could help carry North Carolina in March. And the wing trio of Leaky Black and graduate transfers Justin Pierce and Christian Keeling could thrive with the openings they’ll get in transition and with defenses paying increased attention to Anthony. Garrison Brooks looks ready to thrive with a bigger role as he continues the growth trajectory that so many Roy Williams big men go through. And 247Sports Composite five-star post player Armando Bacot could hit the ground running with his ability to score around the basket. Will all the pieces fit together? It’s impossible to tell with so many new players, but this could wind up being too low for the Tar Heels.”"

They do, at least, admit the potential folly in placing North Carolina this low in their ‘Way-Too-Early’ preview, noting that the star-power and potential are there, but cohesiveness could be a problem. Roy Williams specializes in cohesiveness, though, and when he’s got some star-power, his teams excel. Unlike NC State, which paid Dennis Smith, Jr. roughly $10,000 per conference victory in 2016, or Duke’s ever-changing carousel of freshmen that often don’t gel properly before NCAA Tournament time, Williams does a great job of getting the most out of the players on his roster.

With the combination of talent and experience he’ll have on this year’s squad, I have to imagine they’ll do better than a fourth-place finish in ACC play. The Tar Heels will begin their conference slate on November 6 against Notre Dame at the Dean Smith Center.

Stick with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on the UNC basketball program throughout the summer, and leading up to the start of the 2019-20 season.