UNC Basketball: 5 bold predictions for UNC in the new decade
By Carson Brown
In the midst of what’s been a demoralizing season for the Tar Heels, Keeping it Heel has five bold predictions for UNC basketball in the new decade.
The North Carolina basketball program is rooted in excellence and success — third all-time in wins in the NCAA, and a winning percentage of 73.9 percent — so expect that to continue over the next decade. Head coach Roy Williams has won nearly 900 games and three national championships, and he doesn’t look to be stepping away from the game any time soon. Expect more championships and more deep runs into late March and early April before his time in Chapel Hill is done.
He’s been hot on the recruiting trail of late — seven 5-star recruits over the past three seasons — including the No. 3-ranked class in the nation in 2020. There’s no doubt the North Carolina’s escape from the NCAA investigation cloud that hung overhead for so many years has helped bring in top-tier recruits again. And now that Williams and the Tar Heels are free of it, those recruits should continue to file.
And don’t be surprised if the program finally gets the new arena that has been talked about for years. As beloved as the Dean Smith Center is, it’s outdated, and needs to be modified or replaced to keep up with the times. It’s been pushed back and held up for a number of years now, but it could happen soon.
North Carolina basketball has been exceptional in its 100-plus year existence; everything about it. The brand, the success, the coaches and the players have been incredible throughout the years, making it so easy to be a UNC fan. The current UNC season shouldn’t have much of an impact on that, either, thanks to the terrific incoming freshman class and Hall-of-Fame head coach at the helm.
Looking ahead, here are five bold predictions for the Tar Heels over the next decade.