UNC Basketball: 5 Burning Questions for Tar Heels in 2014-15

Less than two weeks stand between Heels fans and opening night for the North Carolina basketball team.

The first match comes November 14 against North Carolina Central, but things ramp up quickly from there thanks to the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament and the possible games that lie therein.

But before UNC even takes the court for its first game of the season, there are still a number of questions that must be answered. Admittedly, some of the most important queries and concerns will take weeks or perhaps longer to reveal a complete answer.

Based on possible impact to this squad's ceiling on the basketball court, here are five of the most pressing matters facing the Tar Heels heading into the 2014-15 season.

Who Will Start at Point?

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

Marcus Paige is a starting guard for North Carolina. His inclusion on the AP's preseason All-American team only cements his impact on the basketball court. However, it remains to be seen where coach Roy Williams will slate Paige into the lineup.

Last season, freshman point guard Nate Britt started 16 contests. Overall, he wasn't very good, but it showed Williams' desire to play Paige off the ball and alleviate some of his duties as the point man. Playing Paige at the 2-guard also allows him to come off screens and get more open looks.

The obvious hope is that 5-star recruit Joel Berry can step in and become this team's starting point guard, sliding Paige to shooting guard. Of course, there is no telling how long it will take Berry to learn the offense and become comfortable playing at this level.

Williams' willingness to start Britt last season (a lesser player coming out of high school than Berry is now) makes it clear that there is no unwritten rule preventing a freshman from claiming this role. Also aiding Berry's case are the glowing remarks about his mature game, as seen in his ESPN 100 profile (subscription required).

Whoever gets the call at tipoff of the NC Central game, there will be tweaks to this team's rotation throughout the season. If some of the wings prove to be competent ball-handlers, Paige could even be the de facto point and lone guard in lineups.

The multiple options available to Coach Williams make this one of the more fascinating decisions he has pertaining to lineup construction.

Are the Freshmen Sure Things?

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Outside of the likes of Duke and maybe Kentucky, no team in the country added more impact pieces to its roster than North Carolina.

Justin Jackson, Theo Pinson and Berry all come to Chapel Hill as 5-star talents and graded out as no worse than top three at their respective positions, according to ESPN 100.

Each former high school star has a scouting report that reads like a letter written by his mom, bragging about her son.

From ESPN 100 on Jackson: "This young man has all the markers to be an elite player...A natural shot maker...the build of Reggie Miller...shoots over smaller defenders like they are invisible."

On Pinson: "Theo is one of the elite guys nationally." Under weaknesses, the report says, "With a player like him, we'd like to see him add something new each year," which seems like the equivalent of claiming in an interview that your biggest weakness is you work too hard.

Berry again is under valid consideration to be the team's starting point guard from the first game he ever plays.

But there is no such thing as a sure thing, especially from what people usually associate with that phrase. Even Andrew Wiggins at Kansas last season was spotty on offense for much of the year and didn't take over games.

The surest thing we can say about these Tar Heel freshmen is that they will fit needs. UNC desperately needs outside shooting and playmaking from the wing, which Jackson and Pinson should provide. It also could use a guard to play opposite Paige.

Are they a sure thing? No. Are they sure to contribute? Yes.

Can the Frontcourt Play Big Minutes?

NELL REDMOND/Associated Press

Everyone is rightly penciling both Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks into the North Carolina starting lineup. However, they are also marking both as stars in the making. The per-minute data from last season certainly points to two tremendous talents. But it is hampered by one flaw: the minute totals that per-minute production came in.

Neither Johnson nor Meeks topped even 661 minutes last year, less than 20 MPG. They both saw less action than Leslie McDonald, who missed more than a quarter of the season because of a suspension.

It seems unlikely that either guy can replicate his production from 2013-14 as his minutes expand. Of course, an increase in total court time will allow for more production overall, even if the averages drop.

It may turn into a difficult balancing act for Williams. How long does he leave Johnson and/or Meeks on the court before (insert unpleasant outcome here)? With an uptick in minutes, the likelihood of foul trouble increases, players lose stamina, players get sloppy and some exert less effort on a play-by-play basis.

Williams knows these guys better than anyone. It will fall on his shoulders to get the most out of them without wearing them out.

Who Is Isaiah Hicks?

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

Literally, this question is the opposite of burning on everyone's mind. Isaiah Hicks is a basketball player who did very little on the court last season. But existentially, what is Hicks to this team? Or, more accurately, what can he be?

Many forget at this point, but Hicks came to North Carolina as a 5-star recruit just like the talented trio this year. Is it simple enough to say that he was over-graded and over-recruited and that he didn't deserve the rating he received?

That would be the easiest way to write off Hicks' freshman year at Chapel Hill. It's more likely, though, that he still possesses all the talent scouts saw in him in high school, but he wasn't able to show it.

Not all young players learn at the same speed or adjust to competition at equal speeds. Hicks saw little playing time last year because he wasn't deserving of more. That doesn't mean he will never be deserving of minutes.

The roster grew deeper this season, but Hicks' path to playing time as the first big man off the bench is still clear. If he becomes that athletic power forward many projected he would be, North Carolina is suddenly an even more daunting opponent.

What About That Academic Scandal?

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The University of North Carolina is in the midst of an academic scandal. The accusations and wrongdoing reach far past just the basketball team. This could have one of two consequences: Either the team suffers under the weight of the accusations levied against it, or the players move past the whole thing with the feeling that this isn't their specific problem.

Last year, with far less-reaching problems present in the athletic department, it seemed as though UNC struggled once P.J. Hairston was dismissed from the program. It is impossible to know if there was a mental aspect to that or just a coincidence of timing and scheduling. McDonald also never got things going last season after getting a late start because of suspension.

If such minor improprieties derailed the squad last year, surely a massive probe such as this would be worse.

That's not necessarily how human nature works, though. A department-wide scandal is worse nationally but could be less impactful in the locker room.

Recruiting rankings and information courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.