UNC Basketball: Biggest Changes Tar Heels Will Undergo Next Season

Unlike a lot of top teams around college basketball, North Carolina will have a lot of continuity heading into 2016-17. However, that doesn't mean there won't be some changes.

Losing three members of the rotation, including one consensus All-American, obviously creates some major holes in the lineup. Meanwhile, the addition of talented recruits will lead to a new look throughout the season.

Head coach Roy Williams has created a winning system in Chapel Hill that won't change much, regardless of the personnel. The players he finds are usually intentionally selected because of their fit within the program.

Still, there are going to be some noteworthy changes from what we saw this past season.

More Traditional Lineup

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In college basketball, filling positions aren't as important as getting the best players on the floor. This is why Joel Berry and Marcus Paige spent most of the season alongside each other in the backcourt despite both being point guards.

There were plenty of positives in this strategy. UNC saw a bigger threat in outside shooting and great ball movement offensively when Paige and Berry were on the floor together.

On the other hand, the lack of size (Berry at 6'0" and Paige at 6'1") led to some struggles defensively. This issue could go away if Theo Pinson (at 6'6") replaces Paige as the starting shooting guard next season.

Pinson has been a bit of a disappointment in his two years at UNC, but he still has the tools to be an impact player at this level. He is a quality defender who should be able to take on an opponent's best outside scorer, while also having the offensive skill set to make him valuable on that end. Additionally, his 22.2 percent assist rate actually led the team last season, per KenPom.com.

Although Pinson still has to improve as a shooter, putting him at the 2 alongside Berry at point and Justin Jackson on the wing creates a more traditional lineup that will be tougher for opponents to manage.

Fewer Options in Post

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Few teams would be able to replace Brice Johnson, who averaged 17 points and 10.4 rebounds per game last season, but the Tar Heels have the personnel to do it. Not only will Kennedy Meeks be able to immediately pick up the slack in the frontcourt, but Isaiah Hicks is a natural fit to slide into the starting spot at power forward after averaging 19.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per 40 minutes.

As good as Johnson was, UNC has a chance to be almost as tough in the frontcourt next season.

Where the team will really suffer, however, is with its depth. Having Hicks off the bench was a luxury for North Carolina, and it gave the team a huge advantage late in games. Joel James was another major factor defensively, even if his stats didn't show it.

Next season, the frontcourt bench will consist of promising but raw freshman Tony Bradley and little-used sophomore Luke Maye. Although both have the potential to help next season, they will need to grow up in a hurry.

There are other options, like sliding Jackson to the 4 at times, but there will still be major question marks in the low post depth. If there are any injuries, things could go south in a hurry.

Increased Expectations from Freshmen

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A combination of factors led to a relatively weak 2015 recruiting class. Maye and Kenny Williams joined the program with little fanfare, ranking just 67th in the nation (10th in the ACC) as a group, per 247Sports.

These players still have time to develop, but few were surprised when the duo combined for just 63 total points on the season.

There is a different mentality with the 2016 incoming class. Ranked 12th in the country by 247Sports, the trio of Bradley, Seventh Woods and Brandon Robinson should generate a lot more excitement from the fanbase.

Bradley is the highest rated of the group. While he still needs time to develop, he can make an early impact with his defense and rebounding. Woods and Robinson can both be electric scorers off the bench and should earn plenty of minutes early on in their careers.

While the 2015 group had to wait behind experienced members of a rotation that returned nine key players from the year before, there is a bigger opportunity for playing time next season—thanks to the departure of a handful of players.

Robinson, Woods and Bradley have an opportunity to make their mark as freshmen, but this chance also comes with the pressure to live up to expectations. These men better be prepared to compete or else they will spend a lot of time on the bench.

Tougher Competition in ACC

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The Tar Heels had a great team last year, but it also helped they were able to cruise through most of the ACC season.

They went 14-4 during the regular season to win the ACC title, added three victories to win a tournament title and then beat two more conference opponents en route to the national title game. Obviously there were some quality teams in there, including a total of four Elite Eight teams and six in the Sweet 16. However, the playing field might be a bit more level in 2016-17.

While UNC returns plenty of talent, so does plenty of other teams like Clemson, Syracuse and Florida State. Virginia and North Carolina State also added some of the best recruiting classes in college basketball to rosters that were already dangerous.

Meanwhile, Duke remains the biggest threat thanks to an elite incoming class of freshmen added to returning players like Grayson Allen, Amile Jefferson and Matt Jones. This team should enter the year No. 1 in the country and the favorite to win the ACC.

This conference is usually one of the toughest if not the best in the country. However, the 2016-17 version is as good as ever and could give North Carolina plenty of trouble throughout the season.

Although this won't be anything new, it is yet another challenge UNC will face next year.

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