North Carolina Basketball: 12 Reasons the Tar Heels Could Win It All This Season

The North Carolina Tar Heels aren't a consensus No. 1 team in either preseason poll, but they came awfully close in both. That kind of acclaim to start the year doesn’t always mean that a team is set to finish with a national title, but this year’s UNC squad seems like a great bet to do just that.

With every starter returning from a team that won the ACC regular-season title and made the Elite 8 last March, North Carolina has talent to burn. Coach Roy Williams has a wonderful chance to earn his third career national championship this March.

Herein, a dozen reasons why there will be another championship banner in Chapel Hill thanks to the 2011-12 team.

12. They Already Know How to Win

For all the disappointment of the Tar Heels missing the Final Four last year, this is a group that comes into the season with ample confidence. They’re the defending ACC champs (14-2 in conference in the regular season) and got stronger as the 2010-11 season wore on.

Under other circumstances, there might be a monkey on the team’s collective back after losing twice to Duke last season.

With the Blue Devils losing senior stars Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler, though, it’s hard to imagine the Tar Heels having any reason to be afraid of any opponent this year.

11. Another Terrific Recruiting Class Has Arrived in Chapel Hill

The current crop of UNC freshmen may not be on a par with last year’s staggering haul led by Harrison Barnes and Kendall Marshall, but it’s got some serious ballplayers.

6’6” shooting guard P.J. Hairston would be the star of many recruiting classes, but even he plays second fiddle here.

Roy Williams’ biggest new acquisition is 6’9” PF James McAdoo, nephew of former North Carolina star Bob.

McAdoo is regarded as one of the most ready-to-play members of the 2011 class, and, even in the Tar Heels’ overwhelming frontcourt, he should get a chance to show what he can do for a few minutes a night.

10. The Sophomores Want to Go out on a High Note

With most teams, the upperclassmen would be the ones worried about finishing their college careers in style. At UNC, though, a team bursting with NBA-caliber talent is just as likely to see its younger players turn pro.

Harrison Barnes surprised observers across the country by staying in school for his sophomore year, and classmate Kendall Marshall is already as good a distributor as any point guard in the nation.

Either or both could easily turn pro, and they’d love to bring another championship to Chapel Hill before they do.

9. Tyler Zeller Might Be the Nation’s Most Overlooked Player

How do you hide a 7’0”, 250-lb center? Surround him with a pair of forwards who are even better at their respective specialties than he is.

Tyler Zeller doesn’t have the explosive leaping ability of Harrison Barnes (with whom he shared the team lead at 15.7 points a game) or the superlative defensive instincts of John Henson (who led the ACC with 3.2 blocks per contest).

All Zeller does is make plays night in and night out, giving the Tar Heels a dominant offensive force on the low block who’s also good for 7.2 rebounds a game.

8. Even the Subs Can Play

The returning talent at North Carolina isn’t even limited to the starting lineup. A pair of athletic swingmen who contributed valuable scoring off the bench for Roy Williams are back to resume their roles in the rotation.

6’7” Reggie Bullock, though overshadowed by stellar classmates like Harrison Barnes, put in a fine freshman season in which he averaged 6.1 points in less than 15 minutes of action.

Junior Leslie McDonald was even more effective off the bench than Bullock last year, serving as the team’s top three-point threat with a .381 shooting percentage from long range.

7. You Can’t Teach Height

In an era when most big men with even a hint of ability jump to the NBA, North Carolina boasts two of the biggest and best post players in the country. 7’0” Tyler Zeller and 6’10” John Henson give the Tar Heels unmatched length on both ends of the floor.

Neither player is quite as versatile as one might hope, with the finesse-oriented Zeller focusing on scoring while the physical Henson takes care of most of the defensive work. Together, however, they present a matchup nightmare for any UNC opponent.

6. No Team Has More Weapons

Stopping one of North Carolina’s many stars isn’t enough to shut down the entire offense. Clogging the middle to harass Tyler Zeller just leaves openings outside for Harrison Barnes to pick apart a defense.

Even point guard Kendall Marshall, who focused on passing and scored just 6.2 points a game last year, is a dangerous shot who hit 37.7 percent of his threes. With its abundance of offensive options, North Carolina is a puzzle few defenses can solve.

5. Roy Williams Has Broken His Final Four Jinx

Once upon a time, Roy Williams had a reputation for watching his talent-laden Kansas teams choke away their chances in the NCAA tournament.

Since his return to Chapel Hill, however, the Tar Heel alum has laid that specter to rest with a pair of national championships.

Williams has as much tournament experience as any coach in the country, and he’ll put his players in the best possible position to win.

Even if he sometimes has to slow down his beloved fast break in the defense-heavy confines of March Madness, Williams finds ways to keep his teams on top.

4. Kendall Marshall Is the Best Young Point Guard in the Country

Veterans like Jordan Taylor of Wisconsin and Scoop Jardine of Syracuse get more press, but no underclass point guard has the leadership or the talent of Kendall Marshall. As a true freshman last season, Marshall finished 20th in the nation with 5.8 assists per game.

Marshall is also a fine defender who averaged 1.1 steals a contest last season. With a year of college experience under his belt, he’s a front-runner for All-America honors in 2011-12.

3. These Tar Heels Aren’t All About Offense

North Carolina history is riddled with great scoring teams that couldn’t play enough defense to win in March. These Tar Heels, however, are formidable opponents on both ends of the floor.

Shooting guard Dexter Strickland holds down a starting job despite his 7.5 point-per-game average because he’s the squad’s best perimeter defender, averaging a team-high 1.2 steals a night.

John Henson, meanwhile, might be the best defender anywhere in the country, as the 6’10” forward led ACC returnees with 10.1 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per contest.

2. Harrison Barnes Is a No. 1 Pick Waiting to Happen

Had Harrison Barnes jumped to the NBA after last season, he would’ve surprised no one. The high-flying 6’8” forward is obvious lottery-pick material, and would’ve had a great chance to go No. 1 overall.

Barnes could easily improve on his 15.7 points and 5.8 rebounds a game from his freshman season, and leading his team to a national title would also score a lot of points with NBA scouts. Don’t be surprised to see both Barnes and his team at No. 1 by the end of the spring.

1. Experience Goes a Long Way

Any college team that returns its entire starting lineup is going to be a dangerous one, and all the more so when they have as many individual standouts as North Carolina. This is a squad that won the ACC and made the Elite 8 while starting two freshmen, two sophomores and a junior.

With a year of tournament experience as a unit, the Tar Heels will be vastly tougher to take out in March. A team that was already skilled enough to be one of the nation’s best is now seasoned enough to take home the ultimate prize.