UNC Basketball: Things Still on Tar Heels' Offseason To-Do List

Even though the focus at this point might be on the start of football season, college basketball is right around the corner. This means the nation's top programs have to get their affairs in order before things get started.

North Carolina has high aspirations heading into the 2015-16 season with a legitimate chance to bring home the program's sixth national championship. According to Odds Shark, the squad has 12-1 odds of winning next year's title, which is tied with Kansas as the fourth best in the country.

As excited as fans should be, there are a few things needed to be done before November. Here is a look at a checklist for head coach Roy Williams and the rest of the staff for the next few months.

Figure out Fifth Starter

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Few teams in the nation return as much experience as North Carolina with nine of the 10 primary rotational players from last season coming back into the fold. Only J.P. Tokoto is gone from the starting lineup that will carry over All-ACC candidates like Marcus Paige, Justin Jackson, Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks.

While this means head coach Roy Williams has less decision-making to do than other coaches, he will still need to figure out the team's fifth starter.

The determining factor will be the style of play Williams wants to see with his team. The easiest replacement for Tokoto will be Theo Pinson, who most resembles the departed guard on the floor. He has the length and athleticism to be a quality perimeter defender and he can slash to the rim to score with ease.

On the other hand, North Carolina can be successful playing small by pushing Paige off the ball to the 2 position. This would put either Nate Britt or Joel Berry II in the starting lineup, creating a quicker unit that also provides more of an outside shooting threat.

There will likely be a number of different lineups throughout the year, but the squad should settle on a primary unit ready to compete at a high level.

Keep Freshmen Involved

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With so many talented veterans returning to the lineup, it is easy to ignore the less-heralded freshmen joining the program. It's important not to let this happen.

Kenny Williams and Luke Maye weren't McDonald's All-Americans or 5-star recruits, but they each have a lot of potential and could even make a major impact this season. They both are considered big-time shooters from the outside, something the Tar Heels desperately lacked last season outside of Marcus Paige.

Although it will be difficult to get either one playing time behind more established players, Roy Williams better make sure the young duo gets involved early and often.

If Williams and Maye don't get their work in practice and early games, they won't be ready to contribute when they are needed later in the year. Even worse, they could end up transferring due to lack of playing time.

Secure Commitment from Top Recruit

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As good as North Carolina can be during the 2015-16 season, the future is in jeopardy if the program can't bring in top talent at the same rate it has in the past.

The major issue is the NCAA investigation surrounding an academic scandal, which apparently was a big reason top recruit Brandon Ingram decided to play at Duke instead of UNC. Other notable players have taken notice of this trend, and the Blue Devils continue to keep the momentum on the recruiting trail.

On the plus side, the Tar Heels are in the conversation for many of the top names in 2016. Harry Giles, Dennis Smith, Kobi Simmons, Edrice Adebayo and others are all considering spending their college careers in Chapel Hill, but no one has made a decision yet.

If North Carolina can secure a commitment from one of these big names before the start of the season, it could create some momentum to sustain for the rest of the class.

Get Healthy

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One of the biggest things that can hold back North Carolina this season is injuries. This was an issue last year as players like Marcus Paige were limited, even when they didn't miss playing time.

Paige underwent arthroscopic ankle surgery after last season ended, while Theo Pinson went in for surgery on his foot. Even with a deep roster, it is important for these players and others to be at full strength before the start of the season. Otherwise, nagging injuries can slow them down throughout the course of the year.

If this squad has hopes of bringing home a championship, it can't be dealing with any of these problems throughout the year.

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