UNC Basketball: Tar Heels' Best Situational Lineups for 2015-16

For a college basketball team to win a championship, it will take a lot more than just the five starters. Fortunately for North Carolina, the squad is deep enough to handle any situation.

Not only do the Tar Heels return at least four players capable of being All-Conference performers, but as many as 11 players could end up getting regular minutes within the main rotation. This will ensure everyone stays as fresh as possible throughout the grind of the season and into the NCAA tournament.

Additionally, each member of the team provides his own unique skill set, which will help head coach Roy Williams put together the best lineup on the floor no matter what is happening in the game.

While there are obvious opportunities to mix and match, here is a look at the best situational lineups heading into next season.

Standard/Defense

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• PG: Marcus Paige
• SG: Theo Pinson
• SF: Justin Jackson
• PF: Brice Johnson
• C: Kennedy Meeks

While teams across the country have multiple holes to fill in their lineups, Roy Williams doesn't have too many tough choices with his team.

J.P. Tokoto left early for the NBA, but the squad will return Marcus Paige, Justin Jackson, Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks. Unless there is an injury, these four players will remain in the starting lineup for the 2015-16 season.

As for the final spot, the best option is Theo Pinson based on his ability to best replicate what is lost with Tokoto. Neither is a great shooter, but each has the quickness and athleticism to be an elite defender and perfect glue guy on an elite roster.

Meanwhile, this lineup isn't only a mixture of the best five players on the squad, but it also makes up the best possible defensive group.

Johnson, Meeks and Pinson were the three best on the team in defensive rating last season, according to Sports-Reference.com. Paige isn't a true stopper at point guard, but he did lead the team with 1.7 steals per game.

Although Jackson still has room to improve on that end of the court, his length at 6'8" will make him a better option on the perimeter than anyone else on the roster.

These five players will go a long way toward deciding North Carolina's fate next season.

Small

Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

• PG: Joel Berry II
• SG: Marcus Paige
• SF: Justin Jackson
• PF: Brice Johnson
• C: Isaiah Hicks

A small change to the starting lineup can make a big difference this season. Putting Joel Berry II or Nate Britt at point guard and pushing Paige to the 2 creates a quicker offense that can get up and down the floor in a hurry.

Berry seems best suited for this role as a true lead guard who can run North Carolina's patented high-paced attack. This could create some open looks for Paige as well as easy lanes for Jackson and Johnson.

If the Tar Heels want, they could even go extremely small with all of Berry, Britt and Paige on the floor at once and create an offense that would be tough to keep up with for a short period of time.

In the frontcourt, Johnson can succeed by running the floor and finishing on fast breaks—something he excelled at last season. Isaiah Hicks also came on strong late in the year and is a perfect fit for this tempo.

Considering this squad ranked 15th in the nation in average possessions per game last year, via kenpom.com, you can be certain this is a lineup you will see a decent amount of next season.

Big

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• PG: Marcus Paige
• SG: Justin Jackson
• SF: Brice Johnson
• PF: Kennedy Meeks
• C: Joel James

Frontcourt depth will not be an issue for North Carolina this season. Instead, the challenge for Roy Williams will be finding enough playing time for all of the talented players.

Johnson, Meeks and Hicks are certain to get their minutes, but Joel James also deserves time on the floor. The 6'10", 280-pound center is a massive presence in the low post and can match up with other top big men across the country.

With James and Meeks (6'9", 280 lbs) together down low, opposing teams are not going to get too many easy rebounds or even looks at the basket.

With Paige and Jackson in the backcourt, the only remaining question is who will play at the wing. Johnson hasn't spent much time out there in his career, although he does have the lateral quickness necessary to defend opposing small forwards if needed.

If this experiment doesn't work, either Pinson or freshman forward Luke Maye could provide solid size at the 3.

Three-Point Shooters

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

• PG: Nate Britt
• SG: Marcus Paige
• SF: Kenny Williams
• PF: Luke Maye
• C: Kennedy Meeks

Outside shooting was a huge problem for North Carolina last season aside from Marcus Paige. The former All-ACC guard hit 39.5 percent of his shots from behind the arc, but his 94 made threes were more than anyone else on the team even attempted.

He should have more help this season in the form of freshmen Kenny Williams and Luke Maye. At 6'3", Williams is a classic catch-and-shoot guard who is one of the most accurate shooters in the 2015 class. Maye is more of a stretch 4 who at 6'7" can spread the defense and hit shots over smaller defenders.

Putting these two players on the floor along with Paige and Britt, who made a respectable 36.6 percent of his three-pointers as a sophomore, could bring a whole new dimension to this offense.

Meeks doesn't have much range, but with a team-leading 12.8 offensive rebounding percentage, via kenpom.com, he can bring down the missed shots and get them right back to the shooters.

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