UNC Basketball: Each Starter's Biggest Area of Improvement in 2015-16

The North Carolina Tar Heels have lived up to expectations so far with a big jump from last season thanks to the individual improvement of the players.

The Tar Heels reached the Sweet 16 a year ago, but the return of most of the rotation led many to expect this squad to contend for a national title. After a few hiccups in the nonconference season, this is once again the goal for a team currently No. 1 in the latest Coaches Poll.

There is no doubt head coach Roy Williams has this team playing as well as it has all year, winning 11 games in a row heading into the meat of the ACC schedule. Now that they are healthy, the Tar Heels are playing as one with an unselfish mentality.

That being said, each player deserves credit for improving his own game from last season. Here is a breakdown of what we have seen from the starters to this point.

Marcus Paige

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Point Guard Skills

In many ways, Marcus Paige hasn't improved and has actually gotten worse from past seasons. His scoring is way down, and recently, his outside shooting has been as bad as we have ever seen, including an 0-of-16 stretch from three-point range over the past three games.

On the other hand, Paige knows that if he has any chance of playing in the NBA, it will need to be as a true point guard. In this area, he has gotten better in each season and especially from last year to this one.

Last year, Paige finished with a solid 2.33 assist-to-turnover ratio, but that has improved to 4.75 during his senior season. This is a major reason the guard's offensive rating is better this year despite the obvious shooting struggles, per KenPom.com.

North Carolina will still hope it sees more of the old Paige as the year progresses, although the ability to distribute without losing the ball has helped this loaded team be even better offensively.

Joel Berry II

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Comfort Level

Joel Berry II was extremely tentative as a freshman. He was third on the depth chart behind Marcus Paige and Nate Britt, and when he was on the floor, he didn't seem comfortable doing anything besides taking an occasional three-pointer. That is not the case this season.

Berry has started every game for the 2015-16 Tar Heels and has rewarded the coaching staff's faith in him by playing at a high level all year long. He helps the offense with his passing and ability to drive into the lane and finish around defenders. He isn't forcing shots, but he also isn't afraid to take any. At 38 percent, he is also the top three-point shooter in the rotation.

While not every game will be a good one—like his 5-of-17 showing against Virginia Tech—his confidence to keep shooting is still a positive. He is too good to end up gun shy and afraid to take an open look.

Staying in the background as a freshman with veteran players around him is understandable, but it's clear he is a major part of the team as a sophomore.

Justin Jackson

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Versatility

Like Marcus Paige, Justin Jackson hasn't improved as much as some would like to see this season. He still disappears at times, and his shooting has been horrendous. The difference from last year is that when he isn't making shots, he is still finding ways to help the team.

Jackson's hot finish to last season was a major boost, but he did little besides scoring. This year, the sophomore has played with more awareness as well as more toughness inside. He is passing the ball more, getting more rebounds and even playing better defense.

Just as importantly, the wing is driving more aggressively to the basket to still get points when the outside shot isn't falling.

Although he has dropped out of the first round in DraftExpress' latest NBA mock draft, Jackson is still making an impact for UNC.

Kennedy Meeks

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Defense

Kennedy Meeks was always a solid defender in the post, but he has been even better this season when he is on the floor.

Although injuries have limited the big man to just 13 games this year, it's clear North Carolina is a much better team when he plays. The Tar Heels allowed opponents to score an average of 68.9 points per game with Meeks in the lineup compared to 74 per game without him.

The numbers at the individual level are even more impressive. Meeks is averaging more blocks and about twice as many steals per game than last season. According to Sports-Reference.com, the advanced stats agree with an improved defensive rating as well as defensive box plus-minus. 

With seemingly everyone else on the roster playing offensive-minded basketball, having Meeks taking care of the defense is extremely valuable.

Brice Johnson

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Everything

This is kind of cheating, but it's hard to argue against the evolution of Brice Johnson this season. He has gone from an above-average forward who struggled with consistency to a force down low and a legitimate superstar.

Although a scoring average of 16.8 points per game doesn't necessarily put him among the best in the nation on its own, he is also bringing down 10.2 rebounds per game with simply unbelievable efficiency in all aspects of the game.

KenPom.com currently has Johnson ranked third in its Player of the Year standings. Sports-Reference.com has the senior listed No. 2 overall in win shares per 40 minutes, behind only Jameel Warney of Stony Brook.

It isn't easy to put up big scoring numbers on a team with six players averaging double figures, but Johnson is a legitimate weapon excelling in all aspects of the game. He has increased his numbers in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, field-goal percentage and free-throw percentage since last season and is a major reason North Carolina is once again one of the favorites to cut the nets down in April.

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