ACC Preview: #1 North Carolina Tar Heels

Projected Starters
C-Tyler Hansbrough 6'9 240 SO- 18.9ppg 7.8rpg 57%FG 74%FT
PF-Brandon Wright 6'9 200 FR- Top 10 recruit
SF-Reyshawn Terry 6'8 220 SR- 14.3ppg 6.2rpg 47%FG 80%FT
SG-Wayne Ellington 6'4 195 FR- Top 5 recruit
PG-Tywon Lawson 5'11 185 FR- Top 10 recruit

Background
Wow. What else can you really say? North Carolina is loaded, and Roy Williams looks like George Steinbrenner right about now. This offseason, UNC grabbed two of the top five recruits in the nation, another top 10, a top 50 and two more top 100’s to go along with four potential double-digit scorers this season. And I almost forgot, arguably the best player in the entire country. Nobody will be surprised if North Carolina makes it two out of three come early April.

Premiere Players
Tyler Hansbrough put up one of the most impressive freshman campaigns in North Carolina basketball history last season, scoring almost 19 a game, 8 on the boards, making shots at 57% and leading the charge into Cameron to knock off Duke on Senior Night, a game diehard Tar Heel fans will never forget (and an excuse for me to bring it up once again). Hansbrough is a bully in the post who can back a defender down and practically score at will. He never takes a play off and works harder than all of his opponents, courting himself as the strongest rebounder in the country, hands down. Less scoring will be thrown on Tyler this year with Wayne Ellington and Tywon Lawson completing an all-frosh starting backcourt. Ellington will prove himself as the best ball-handler in the nation. His ability to break down a defender for an open jumper, which he never misses, is uncanny. His athleticism impresses, as well as his leaping and dunking ability if the defense gives Wayne any crease in the post to work with. Lawson is another blessed athlete with superb ball-handling. He’s quick, can run the break with perfection and finish in the lane with absolute ease. His playmaking has no ceiling. With Lawson and Ellington working the two guard positions, North Carolina’s turnover tendencies will be practically obsolete. Brandon Wright is the final top 10 freshman, widely considered the top freshman power forward by many recruiting experts. His defense and shot-blocking will give UNC the best post duo, in terms of stopping intruding players, in the country. He is mobile and very agile for a big man that allows Wright to show off different skills of his sound offensive game. In two years, Brandon Wright could be the next Tyler Hansbrough on Chapel Hill.

Role Players
Reyshawn Terry, a role player? On this years Tar Heel team, the likely NBA first-round pick could play that exact part. Forget the freshmen, Terry is the best shooter on this team, especially from behind the arc. It’ll be so difficult for opposing defenses to focus on any one player on this NC team around the perimeter that Terry will get even more open looks from three than last season. If Roy Williams is looking for senior leadership and a big shot at the end of the game, Terry is his man. His mobility and strong court vision gives him the talent to find an open look anywhere on the court and deliver. Bobby Frasor may start at point guard, as he brings experience and the familiarity with Williams’ offense. He was hot and cold from deep last year, but I know Frasor is an outstanding three-point popper, he just needs to avoid inconsistency. I’m sure he’s become much more relaxed and ready this summer. Wes Miller is another hot and cold player that loves shooting the three. I’ve seen Wes unconscious behind the arc, but also tentative and out of control. Danny Green will come off the bench as well for North Carolina, a 7.5 PPG scorer last year, along with top 50 recruits Alex Stephenson and Deon Thompson, who would start on most teams in the nation. On North Czrolina, Stephenson, a more finesse post player, and Thompson, a bulky horse around the paint, will be the eighth or ninth men. The best defensive player on the Heels, Marcus Ginyard, will also play key second half minutes because of that strength.

Final Thoughts
The total package is right here. They’re the best shooting team in the nation with Wayne Ellington, Bobby Frasor, Wes Miller and Reyshawn Terry. They can grab rebounds whenever they need to with Hansbrough and Wright. They’re unbelievably deep, giving Williams the opportunity to juggle superior lineups in different situations. Without three of the top ten recruits in the country, NC would still be in the preseason top ten. A national championship is the goal, and it may very well be fulfilled.

Schedule and Projection
11/14 vs. Sacred Heart- W
11/15 vs. Winthrop- W
11/19 vs. Gardner-Webb- W
11/22 (N) vs. Gonzaga- W
11/24 (N) vs. Tennessee- W
11/29 vs. Ohio State- W
12/2 vs. Kentucky- W
12/9 vs. High Point- W
12/16 vs. UNC-Asheville- W
12/19 vs. Florida Atlantic- W
12/22 @ St. Louis- W
12/28 vs. Rutgers- W
12/31 vs. Dayton- W
1/3 vs. Penn- W
1/7 vs. Florida State- W
1/10 vs. Virginia- W
1/13 @ Virginia Tech- W
1/17 @ Clemson- W
1/20 vs. Georgia Tech- W
1/24 @ Wake Forest- W
1/27 @ Arizona- W
1/31 vs. Miami- W
2/3 @ NC State- W
2/7 @ Duke- L
2/10 vs. Wake Forest- W
2/13 vs. Virginia Tech- W
2/17 @ Boston College- W
2/21 vs. NC State- W
2/25 @ Maryland- W
3/1 @ Georgia Tech- W
3/4 vs. Duke- W

Projected Record: 30-1 (15-1)