Before the COVID-19 pandemic ended their season, 2019-20 was a forgettable season for North Carolina. A 14-19 overall record including a 6-14 showing in the ACC is a pretty terrible showing and one of the worst seasons that many Tar Heels fans have seen in their lifetime as well as one of the worst in Roy Williams' tenure as head coach of the program. Sure, it hurt that some key players like Nassir Little, Coby White, and Cameron Johnson departed, plus Luke Maye and Kenny Williams graduated, but Williams was able to bring in top recruits Cole Anthony and Armando Bacot, plus some transfers to help fill the depth. Despite what Williams did to prepare for 2019-20, nothing could have prepared him and the program for what happened in the season as injuries and inconsistencies led to a dismal showing. However, there seems to be a lot of excitement for 2020-21 as this could be a great season for North Carolina.
Departures
G Cole Anthony
G Brandon Robinson
G Christian Keeling
F Justin Pierce
G Jeremiah Francis
F Brandon Huffman
The story of every college basketball program are the unfortunate departures that occur whether it's due to players entering the NBA Draft or graduation/loss of eligibility. Anthony was a very talented player, but he endured a crucial injury and wasn't able to perform up to his potential when he returned. The debate as to whether he should have returned or not is a big one, but ultimately he decided to enter the NBA Draft. Robinson was an effective shooter as his specialty was to hit from beyond three-point range and consistently hit field goals, but injuries held him back last season. However, losing his experience and quality hurts a lot. Keeling, Pierce, Francis, and Huffman all provided depth, so that was also hard to lose.
Incoming Players
G R.J. Davis
G Puff Johnson
G Caleb Love
F Day'Ron Sharpe
G Kerwin Walton
C Creighton Lebo
F Walker Kessler
Williams did a great job of recruiting as he brought in five top-100 recruits including three in the top-20. Love, Kessler, and Sharpe are all five star recruits, while Walton, Davis, and Johnson were four star recruits. This undoubtedly will make UNC have great talent/quality as well as a deeper bench for them to succeed this year. With what was brought in to pair with the returning players, it will be fun to see what happens in 2020-21
Returning Players
F Garrison Brooks
F Armando Bacot
G Anthony Harris
G Leaky Black
G Andrew Platek
G K.J. Smith
F Sterling Manley
Brooks and Bacot are obviously the two most important players on this list as they will man down low on the paint. Brooks is going to be the most experienced forward to play for UNC, but Bacot is a very talented player. Black is going to get a lot of playing time due to his versatility and his consistency. Platek is going to have to step up his shooting, but he will be another key player in Williams' rotation. Harris and Manley each suffered injuries last season as Harris was a redshirt, but he is expected to provide some big time minutes when he plays, however, both will provide depth off the bench. Smith will have a hard time finding playing time, but he does provide depth.
2020-21 is certainly going to be a weird transitional season for the Tar Heels as they are clearly talented enough to do a lot of good things, but also are going to be very young and a lot of unknowns. Should everything go to plan, this is a deep and talented side that should make Williams' job easier. The question as to how they will do by the end of the 2020-21 campaign is unknown, but a deep run in the NCAA Tournament is a realistic goal and expectation. In the ACC tournament, a tournament title is also a realistic goal and expectation. Now, the quality of the ACC itself is going to be quite interesting as a regular season title is most likely to be the most realistic goal and expectation as to what happens this season.
So, what should be expected out of the players this season? This will be a much deeper team and should be able to make Williams' life much easier. Brooks and Bacot are assuredly going to start, but Sharpe and Kessler should be able to a load off their shoulders and should be able to rotate them in and out. Manley also provides cover. As for the guards though that's where they are even deeper as there are so many options. Love is going to be a starter, but Black and Platek's veteran presence should be valuable on the court. Davis, Walton, and Johnson give more options for Williams to use as they all will rotate in and out nicely. Harris and Smith provide cover on the bench.
Prediction: ACC Tournament Final and Sweet 16
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