Projecting UNC's 2016-17 Rotation After Mixtape Star Seventh Woods Commits

A long recruiting process had a happy ending for North Carolina with 4-star guard Seventh Woods committing to the Tar Heels.

ESPN.com's Jeff Borzello noted UNC surprisingly beat out South Carolina for the talented player, while Georgetown was also in the running. 

"Coach Roy Williams and his staff believed in me from Day 1 and UNC was my dream school growing up," Woods said after his commitment, per Reggie Rankin of ESPN.

Ranked the No. 41 overall player in the 2016 class by 247Sports, Woods first came into prominence as a 14-year-old freshman thanks to a mixtape that generated over 13 million views. The hype has slowed since then, but the athleticism on display is still very much there.

This is a huge addition to a North Carolina squad that will lose a lot of talent after this upcoming season. Marcus Paige, Brice Johnson and Joel James are set to graduate, while Justin Jackson and Kennedy Meeks could declare for the NBA draft.

Assuming none of these players make the roster next season, the Tar Heels will see a bit of a drop-off but should still be fine thanks to returning talent and incoming recruits. Here is an early breakdown of what that unit could look like based on current commitments.

PG: Joel Berry II

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Thanks to Marcus Paige's hand injury, Joel Berry will have a much bigger role in the 2015-16 season than expected. North Carolina will need both Berry and Nate Britt to step up over the first month and keep the team afloat while the squad's best player and All-American candidate tries to get healthy.

Although Britt had more minutes last season and was slightly more productive (15.3 MPG, 5.5 PPG) than Berry (13.2 MPG, 4.2 PPG), the latter has a lot more upside as a starter. The former McDonald's All-American has elite quickness to help him on both ends of the court as well as the vision to run the fast-paced attack.

Once he gets into a rhythm with his outside shooting, the sophomore will be a serious weapon who will only get better with more playing time.

By the time he is a junior, Berry will be ready to lead the squad full time at a high level.

SG: Seventh Woods

Roy Williams will have a few options at this spot. He could go with a veteran presence in Nate Britt, he could add a shooting weapon with Kenny Williams or bring size and toughness with incoming freshman Brandon Robinson. While there will be plenty of time to decide, the best option right now is probably the recently committed Seventh Woods.

The combo guard has elite athleticism that allows him to be a scoring threat anywhere on the court. In a high-tempo attack like the one the Tar Heels use, Woods will especially be a threat on fast breaks and anytime he is in the open floor.

Even at 6'1", Woods has a chance to play above the rim and finish over much bigger defenders.

One of the biggest criticisms on the high school senior is that he doesn't have the point guard skills necessary for his size. In this lineup, he won't need to worry about distributing or creating for others. Woods can simply play his own game and be the big-time scorer and playmaker he has been throughout his career.

SF: Theo Pinson

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After injuries shortened his freshman season, this year is a big one for Theo Pinson. The athletic wing is expected to step into the starting lineup as a replacement for J.P. Tokoto, filling the necessary roles as the ideal glue guy in an otherwise loaded rotation.

With his athleticism and length, Pinson certainly has the tools to be a dominant defender who passes well and provides just enough scoring to keep defenders honest. If he can do this, UNC will be in great shape during the 2015-16 season.

Once the upperclassmen leave, however, Pinson has a chance to truly be a star. The slashing guard can become a go-to scorer as a junior while helping both UNC and his own NBA draft stock.

This is certainly a bold prediction for a player who averaged just 2.8 points across 24 games at the college level, but he has shown glimpses of this ability. According to Sports-Reference.com, Pinson finished his freshman season fifth among UNC rotation players in box plus/minus, ahead of even Justin Jackson. This type of play over a full season could be huge for the Tar Heels.

PF: Isaiah Hicks

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Isaiah Hicks is almost too good to be spending time on the bench this season. Brice Johnson and Kennedy Meeks are established starters on the current roster, but Hicks is doing his best to prove he belongs on the court.

The junior averaged 17.9 points and 8.0 rebounds per 40.0 minutes last year, showing what he could do when he gets on the court. In the exhibition against Guilford, he finished with 12 points and seven rebounds on 6-of-7 shooting despite playing just 18 minutes.

On the plus side, Hicks will finally get a chance to shine as a senior with Johnson certainly gone and Meeks likely following him on the way out of Chapel Hill. Although most schools will be in rough shape after losing this duo, Hicks will ensure the quality of play in the frontcourt remains just as strong.

With a high motor and a real knack for offensive rebounding, the forward could be set for a breakout season as a senior, something rarely seen these days in college basketball.

C: Tony Bradley

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Although Tony Bradley doesn't project as a true center, the team could be even more versatile with the 2016 recruit playing the 5.

Rated the No. 30 recruit in the country by 247Sports, Bradley is a long, athletic forward in the mold of Brice Johnson. He runs the floor well and has good shot-blocking instincts to help the team on the defensive end. Compared to other high school big men he also has a decent amount of polish offensively, which will help him contribute right out of the gate.

The 6'10", 235-pound player will have to add some strength in order to battle with some of the bigger centers in the ACC, but his skill set gives him enough ability to hang with the best in the nation even as a freshman.

With that said, the Tar Heels could still stand to at least one more big man in the 2016 class before the start of next season.

Key Reserves

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PG Nate Britt

Although he doesn't have star power, Nate Britt is a very capable reserve point guard who could start for a lot of power-conference teams. The 6'1" player can hit an open shot as well as create for others, and he should get at least 15-20 minutes per game during his upcoming junior season.

SG Brandon Robinson

Another key part of the 2016 class, Brandon Robinson is listed as the No. 55 overall recruit by 247Sports. Has good size at 6'5" and should be a good slasher and defender at the next level, although he needs to add some weight to his 160-pound frame.

SG Kenny Williams

His freshman season will likely be spent as a spot shooter, but Kenny Williams has potential to be much more as his career progresses in Chapel Hill. In this rotation, the Virginia native will be an immediate scoring threat off the bench and a valuable commodity for an ACC contender.

PF Luke Maye

It will be difficult for Roy Williams to find minutes for Luke Maye during his freshman season, although that won't be a problem next year. With most of the frontcourt moving on, Maye will become a key part of the rotation as a stretch-4 who can rebound as well as hit an outside shot. If the Tar Heels don't add another big man, there will be a lot of pressure on him to grow up quickly.

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