image: @GoHeels on Twitter
By: Jerome Simpson (’19), Staff Writer
The Heels return as the defending National Champions after a thrilling run to the title game in Arizona. It was up to Joel Berry II, Kennedy Meeks, Isaiah Hicks, and Justin Jackson to bring the Heels back to the mountain top after a crushing defeat to the Villanova Wildcats. They did just that with their 71-65 win over Gonzaga, bringing Roy Williams his third National Title and Carolina its seventh.
But what’s in store for the Heels this season? That’s the big question.
No two teams from year to year are the same and that applies even more this year. Carolina lost Jackson, Hicks, Meeks, and Tony Bradley to the NBA, with the first three all expected to leave. The loss of Bradley really puts the Heels in a tough spot as far as frontcourt depth and solidified talent goes. Berry II is lost for the first 4-6 weeks after breaking his hand.
Carolina’s strengths are usually running its inside game through returning upperclassmen, scoring off second chance points and spacing the floor for the opportune three-pointer. That shouldn’t be the case this year. The Heels are definitely talented, but youthful in the frontcourt. With most of their talent and experience coming in the backcourt, look for the Heels to play outside in. Berry II, along with graduate transfer Cam Johnson, will be relied on to do most of the scoring. Throughout the year I expect Williams to tinker with the lineup, possibly moving Luke Maye to the bench to alleviate the load on the freshmen big men. This could allow the freshmen to play around solidified returners, lessening their load.
What everyone wants to know
Do we beat Duke? I think this team is able to split with Duke, winning in the Dean Dome. The lack of veteran front court players to score inside will put too much pressure on Berry, Pinson and Johnson to score in Cameron Indoor. With the help of the home crowd, I think the young Heels play better at home, scoring more inside and propel UNC to a close win in Chapel Hill.
How far can we go in March? There will be ups and downs throughout the year with the team having to adjust to playing outside in, instead of inside out as they normally do. A team or two will storm the court against the Heels as they try to figure things out. Come March, the Heels will have pretty much figured things out but I don’t think they have enough to challenge for a title this year. Williams will do everything to get the most out of his players and for this team it means making it to the Elite 8 at best; ultimately I think we exit in the Sweet Sixteen. While I don’t see another National Title coming back to Chapel Hill this year, neither did most last year. Anything can happen, and we have the best coach in college basketball to make another run. Regardless, grab your friends, grab your gear, and make sure you get to the Dean Dome this year because it’s going to get crazy!
