Head-to-Toe Breakdown of Final Four Superstar Brice Johnson

North Carolina is the only No. 1 seed to make the Final Four, taking advantage of a deep and talented lineup that made it hard for opponents to focus on one player in hopes of shutting down the Tar Heels. Most didn't bother trying that tactic with Brice Johnson, since he proved throughout this season that's just not possible.

Johnson, a 6'9" senior forward, has been far and away UNC's best player this season. After slow-but-steady improvement his first three years, in 2015-16 he's put it all together on both ends of the court, and it's helped the Heels reach their first Final Four since winning it all in 2009.

He's also part of a slew of senior stars who have helped get their teams this far, helping to buck the trend that college basketball is being taken over by "one-and-done" freshmen. How did Johnson help make this happen? Check out our head-to-toe look at UNC's force up front.

Strengths

Johnson has turned himself into a double-double machine, setting the school record with 23 this season. A background as a high jumper back in high school has enabled him to outleap most players, getting up quickly and before others can react. It's resulted in 399 rebounds, or 10.5 per game, with a defensive rebound percentage of 28.7 percent that is tied for 12th-best nationally.

He's also pulled down 105 offensive rebounds, turning many into quick putback baskets. Johnson shoots 61.6 percent from the field and averages 17.1 points per game, though he can hit the mid-range jumper on occasion.

"His breakout senior season has finally added the missing pieces to his terrific energy," ESPN's Chad Ford wrote.

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Johnson moves very well for a 230-pound player, showing a quick first step that helps him either create space for a jumper or draw fouls in cramped surroundings. He's become better at maximizing those free-throw opportunities, shooting 78.9 percent from the line this season, compared to 57.7 percent as a freshman.

Defensively, Johnson has blocked a team-high 57 shots and has a defensive rating of 91.4, which is just outside the top 20 nationally.

Weaknesses

Johnson has made it a constant goal since arriving at UNC four years ago to bulk up and get stronger, and while the results are noticeable, he's still got a ways to go. He was around 185 pounds as a freshman and weighs around 230 now, with almost all of that increase coming in the muscle department, but Johnson can still get bullied.

"As his play stands now, I can’t imagine him holding up well against a low-post bruiser," John Bauman of UpsideMotor.com wrote.

Johnson's quickness on the defensive end doesn't show up as well as it does on offense. As shifty as he can be to get to the hoop, he's regularly beat on the other end because of a lack of lateral agility.

The above video, chronicling the first of his two one-on-one matchups with Duke's Brandon Ingram, showed his struggles with defending away from the basket. Opponents will want to get him as far from the paint as possible to take advantage of this.

One area Johnson has no ability to improve in is his wingspan. At 6'11”, he's on the low end for players of his height.

Intangibles

UNC coach Roy Williams has taken to falling back on the phrase "That’s Brice" to describe Johnson, and in some ways this comes off as apologetic. It's especially true when it pertains to Johnson's propensity for letting his emotions get the best of him.

Andrew Carter of the News & Observer noted this back in January, when Johnson had his epic 39-point, 23-rebound game just five days after going 1-of-8 from the field for a season-low three points:

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'That’s Brice' has become one of Williams’ favorite and most-used sayings. It describes pretty much anything and everything Johnson does, and Williams uses it especially to describe Johnson’s dramatic swings in production and demeanor. Release a loud, energetic and emphatic scream after a dunk? That’s Brice.

Follow such a moment with some lackadaisical play on defense? That’s Brice. The question now, as it always seems to be with Johnson, is whether 'that’s Brice' will become a saying that describes consistent excellence or one that continues to be a way for Williams to matter-of-factly characterize Johnson’s inconsistency and laid-back nature.

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Johnson's emotions can be problematic at times, such as in the Elite Eight against Notre Dame when he was hit with a technical for tossing the ball in the air in reaction to an over-the-back call. It's also caused him to get back too slow on defense, as UpsideMotor.com's Bauman noted, often because he's screaming in exultation after a dunk or basket.

The Heels don't want that emotion to go away; they just want it to be harnessed better and focused on consistent play.

Ideal NBA Role

Too small to be able to handle traditional big men and without the perimeter game to be a stretch 4, Johnson is in a tweener spot that will require him to find the right fit with the right team. And they'll have to be OK with him being an energy guy used in short bursts.

"He projects as an interior specialist and frontcourt energizer," Bleacher Report NBA Draft expert Jonathan Wasserman wrote. "Regardless of whether Johnson develops his post moves or jumper, his ability to put pressure on the glass and finish off plays seems likely to translate."

Draft Outlook

Johnson's stock is certainly on the rise, and in a year when seniors are showing up the young phenoms he's doing it at the right time. But that still probably won't translate into a high draft spot, and depending on which expert you listen to, he may not even go in the first round.

"He's dominating as a 21-year-old—not an 18- or 19-year-old—and scouts still worry how everything will translate in the NBA," wrote ESPN's Ford, who ranks him as the 28th-best prospect in the 2016 class. "I think he's in the No. 20 to No. 35 range still, though his performance so far has pushed him to the high end of that evaluation."

Outlet	Pick Number
Bleacher Report	30th
CBS Sports	27th
DraftExpress	13th
ESPN	None (only picked for first round)
NBADraft.net	33rd

Ford doesn't have Johnson in the first round in his most recent mock draft, but others do. Bleacher Report's Wasserman has him going 30th, which means getting to join the presumptive NBA champion Golden State Warriors, while NBADraft.net has him as a lottery pick.

Johnson's performance at the combine and in individual workouts will go a long way toward which of these projections is closest to being accurate.

All statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference.com, unless otherwise noted.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.