UNC Basketball: Each Projected Starter's Top Priority in 2016-17

Player roles change all the time, and this will especially be the case for North Carolina's basketball team going into next season.

The Tar Heels will return six of their top eight scorers from last year and eight of the 11 men who played more than 100 minutes. However, every person on the roster will likely see some change in his role due to the departures of Brice Johnson and Marcus Paige.

While some players will become go-to scorers, others will only have to worry about doing the little things necessary to help the team win. If everyone does his job, UNC can improve upon last year's result and bring home a national championship.

Here is a look at some of those priorities each North Carolina starter needs to worry about in 2016-17.

Joel Berry: Become a Leader

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One of the separating factors for North Carolina last season was its leadership. Both Johnson and Paige were four-year players and longtime contributors with the program, helping to improve the team chemistry while also stepping up in big moments.

While Isaiah Hicks and Kennedy Meeks will be seniors next season, Joel Berry is the one who needs to become the leader.

The rising junior made a huge leap last season, becoming the primary point guard while Paige was mainly moved off the ball. He responded by leading the team with 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game while his 12.8 points per game ranked second behind only Johnson. One of his best games of the entire year was actually in the national championship where he finished with 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting against Villanova.

It's clear he has the talent to beat good teams, and there will be even more opportunity for him for big numbers in 2016-17. He needs to take advantage of it and become a player that his teammates can rally behind all season.

Theo Pinson: Elite Defense

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It was a bit of a disappointing sophomore season for Theo Pinson, who averaged just 4.5 points per game after coming in with high expectations. He still has the skill set of an impact player who can fill up the box score in a lot of areas, but so far his production hasn't been great at the college level.

If he does start next season, however, the priority won't necessarily be scoring or passing or shooting. His most important role will be on the defensive end.

Pinson has good size at 6'6" with the athleticism and lateral quickness necessary to be an elite on-ball defender at this level. He has shown this ability despite limited playing time, leading all UNC perimeter players with a 3.7 defensive box plus/minus last season, per Sports-Reference.com.

As good as Berry and Paige were offensively, North Carolina was a better defensive team when Pinson was on the floor.

This is where he needs to be at his best in 2016-17, as a stud on-ball defender who can take out an opponent's best scorer. If he can do this, any struggles on the offensive end could be forgiven.

Justin Jackson: Stop Missing Threes

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Justin Jackson has proved to be a dangerous scorer when he attacks the basket, using his 6'8" frame and good handle to slash inside and finish at the rim. His level of success has not been as good when he attempts to shoot from deep.

Jackson proved his poor three-point shooting from his freshman year (30.4 percent) wasn't a fluke when he hit just 29.2 percent as a sophomore. It's clear he has confidence and the shots likely go in during practice, but 212 three-point attempts in two seasons and a 29.7 percent overall shooting percentage is a good enough sample size to realize it isn't working.

This leaves the wing with two options: either start making shots or stop taking them.

Giving up shooting completely isn't likely, especially for someone with dreams of an NBA career. However, if his numbers don't improve, he should limit his attempts to only when he is open or to keep defenders honest.

While the young player has obvious upside, missed shots don't help anyone. Jackson needs to continue to work on what he does best if he wants to truly help the team.

Isaiah Hicks: Avoid Foul Trouble

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Hicks was one of the best sixth men in college basketball a year ago. He easily could have been a go-to option on most teams around the country, but with Johnson and Meeks ahead of him, he was relegated to just a bench role, where he excelled with 19.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per 40 minutes.

Unfortunately, Hicks also averaged 6.7 fouls per 40 minutes, highest on the team. This was a bit overlooked at times, but the coaching staff had a hard time keeping him on the floor due to foul trouble.

The forward fouled out three times last year despite limited playing time and finished with at least four fouls in nine of the final 13 games of the season.

When UNC was loaded with frontcourt depth, this wasn't much of an issue. Johnson and Meeks were able to do their jobs while even Joel James and Luke Maye were valuable players off the bench. There won't be as much of a safety net this time around.

The Tar Heels need Hicks on the floor this year and don't have many options if he is in foul trouble. He has to make sure this doesn't remain an issue now that he is a starter.

Kennedy Meeks: Play Within Himself

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Brice Johnson exceeded just about every expectation last season as one of the best frontcourt players in the country. KenPom.com rated him as the No. 1 player in all of college basketball. 

Meeks needs to know that he doesn't need to turn himself into Johnson next season.

There are areas for the big man to improve. He can raise his rebounding rates to what they were earlier in his career and can be a more efficient threat in the post. Of course, he already had a higher shot rate when he was on the floor than either Berry or Paige, per KenPom.com.

The worst thing that could happen is Meeks trying to become a star and forcing things that aren't there offensively. There are others who can help replace the scoring; the senior simply has to play within himself and take care of business down low on both ends of the court.

Meeks is a talented player, but he won't be able to replace Johnson by himself.

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