UNC Basketball: Each Projected Starters' Most Concerning Flaw

Even as North Carolina comes into the 2016-17 season with one of the more experienced rosters in college basketball, the lineup won't be without its flaws.

With six of the top eight scorers returning from last year's national finalists, we already know quite a bit about the players set to be a part of the rotation. Everyone is capable of surprising—just look at Brice Johnson's improvement last season—but the strengths and weaknesses of each player are pretty well documented.

The key for the upcoming year will be to mask the concerning factors while highlighting the strengths of the entire team.

Although the starting lineup won't be set until November, here is a projected look as well as the biggest flaw for each player.

Note: Stats courtesy of Sports Reference unless otherwise noted.

Joel Berry: Facilitating

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Joel Berry led the Tar Heels in assists last season, but he will have a much tougher role in 2016-17.

After sharing point guard duties with Marcus Paige for the majority of last year, Berry will have to learn how to become a full-time leader of the offense. He will have to find ways to create opportunities for his teammates, improving upon both his 3.8 assists per game as well as his pedestrian 19.4 percent assist rate. 

While the extra opportunities will go a long way, the challenge will come from opposing defenses. Teams were forced to account for Paige, who had a down year but was still one of the top perimeter scoring threats in the ACC.

Next year, Berry will be on his own trying to penetrate defenses and finding open men. He has the ability to do this and average at least six assists per game, but he has to prove it on the court.

Theo Pinson: Consistency

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It's hard to deny Theo Pinson's upside. The guard has athleticism and a wide skill set that could allow him to fill up the box score in a lot of areas. The former McDonald's All-American is a good defender and does everything you could want on the offensive end.

The problem is he hasn't been able to put it all together quite yet. He averaged just 4.5 points per game last season despite playing 18.7 minutes per game off the bench. He wasn't aggressive with the ball and struggled as a shooter when he actually took shots.

Pinson scored in double figures in six different games as a sophomore but also went scoreless in seven games, all of which he played more than 10 minutes.

If he is going to enter the starting lineup as expected, Pinson will have to become more of an offensive weapon while playing at a high level throughout the whole season.

Justin Jackson: Outside Shooting

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Justin Jackson is so close to being a dominant offensive player at the college level.

The 6'8" wing has developed strong handle to slash to the basket and finish at the net. He also has a quality mid-range game from 10-15 feet to make him a tough matchup for anyone. At 53.7 percent shooting from two-point range last year, Jackson was highly efficient inside the arc.

Unfortunately, the success did not continue from beyond three-point range. He made just 29.2 percent of outside shots last season after managing just 30.4 percent as a freshman. Although he has confidence in his stroke, it hasn't led to points in games.

If Jackson is going to take the next step as many are expecting of him this season, he will need to start knocking down shots from the perimeter. If he does, few defenders will be able to stop him.

Isaiah Hicks: Conditioning

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Isaiah Hicks has been one of the top bench players in college basketball over the past two seasons. However, he enters his senior year still not knowing what it takes to be a full-time player at this level.

Even as a big part of the rotation, Hicks has started only three games in each of the last two years. He averaged just 14.8 minutes per game as a sophomore and 18.1 mpg as a junior. Little of this playing time came in high-pressure moments late in games.

With Johnson and Joel James gone, North Carolina will have to rely upon Hicks and Kennedy Meeks a lot next season. The lack of experience in the frontcourt will likely keep these players on the floor more than usual, even in the fast-paced attack.

UNC needs Hicks to play around 25-30 minutes per game, but he is yet to prove he can handle the increased workload while maintaining the same level of play.

Kennedy Meeks: Creating His Own Shot

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Kennedy Meeks has been a valuable part of the Tar Heels' offense thanks to his ability to finish inside. But he has gotten by without needing to do a lot of creating for himself.

According to Hoop Math, 60.8 percent of his shots at the rim are off assists. Another 31.1 percent came from putbacks on missed shots.

With Johnson gone, Meeks will have to take on more of an active role offensively. This includes getting the ball in the post and creating with his back to the basket, getting the necessary inside scoring for a team that will likely struggle from beyond the arc.

The center saw his scoring drop from 11.4 points per game as a sophomore to 9.2 ppg as a junior. As a senior, he will need to be as good as ever and that includes a lot more than just catching balls and dunking.

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