Ultimate guide to the UNC Tar Heels basketball season. Everything you’d want to know.

North Carolina’s Roy Williams has been clamoring for a fresh start since the moment last season ended with his first losing record in 32 years as a head coach. The Tar Heels are taking that quite literally, with a class of six scholarship freshmen who all figure to factor into the rotation.

Williams hasn’t had a problem in the past throwing freshmen into key positions. Most recently, Cole Anthony took over point guard duties last season having inherited them from Coby White after his one-and-done year. .

This season, though, will be different. The Tar Heels could be forced to rely on its freshman class at levels not seen since Tyler Hansbrough arrived in Chapel Hill the 2005-06 season.

Freshman guard Caleb Love, the first player from Missouri to commit to UNC since Hansbrough, headlines a 2020 recruiting class ranked among the top three nationally by most recruiting analysts. Forward Day’Ron Sharpe is arguably the most ready to play of any freshman in the frontcourt since Tony Bradley in 2016-17.

“The worst thing about our preparation this year is to have six freshmen in the mix for playing time -- and I’m talking about major playing time -- not having an exhibition game, not having a scrimmage with officials,” Williams told reporters on a video call Monday. “We’re going into a game Wednesday night and we’re not prepared because we haven’t had any of those things.”

As of Monday, Williams said he hadn’t decided on the starting lineup yet for Wednesday’s season opener against College of Charleston. The only certainty for the Tar Heels is senior forward Garrison Brooks.

Brooks has had an ascent unlike few others in program history from unheralded recruit to being named the ACC’s preseason Player of the Year. Brooks is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder returning after averaging 16.8 points and 8.5 boards per game last season.

“The part that sets me up different from last year is just the unwavering confidence from day one to always be aggressive and believing in myself,” Brooks told reporters on a video call.

Williams hopes the team will get back to believing after its humbling 14-19 season left a lot of room for doubt.

UNC basketball season outlook

Carolina, picked to finish fourth in the ACC’s preseason media poll, is ranked No. 16 in the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll. Whether or not it can live up to those predictions will depend on if it can find the scoring that so often last season was so hard to come by.

As a team, the Tar Heels shot just 30.4 percent from 3-point range last season. Williams expects that to improve and said Kerwin Walton, a 6-5, 205-pound freshman guard, has stood out as the most consistent.

UNC will find out early as it plays in the Maui Invitational on Monday with a field that includes No. 19 Texas and a non-conference game on Dec. 19 against No. 23 Ohio State in the CBS Classic.

Williams pointed out that the Tar Heels, as a by-product of finishing tied for last place last season, were initially not going to participate in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge this year. Not only will Carolina play, but it drew potential Big Ten front-runner Iowa and its preseason Player of the Year Luka Garza in Iowa City.

Starters lost from 2019-20

▪ Cole Anthony (guard, NBA draft), Brandon Robinson (guard, graduation)

UNC projected starters

Caleb Love

▪ 2019 stats: 26.3 ppg, 6.5 rebounds, 3.1 apg (high school)

Love is a 6-4 freshman guard in the mold of former Tar Heels’ star Coby White. He can score in bunches and is aggressive, even when playing point guard. He won’t always be locked in as the Heels’ lead guard. Williams has said he’ll pair Love and R.J. Davis in the same lineup at times and Love will get to play off the ball.

▪ R.J. Davis

▪ 2019 stats: 26.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 5.3 apg (high school)

▪ Davis, a 6-0, 160-pound freshman guard, will play a lot regardless and he’ll likely have to beat out senior Andrew Platek in order to start. But Williams said he likes his instincts and said he has “old school values” because he’s always penetrating and trying to see what’s happening. A similar comparison might be to Joel Berry, but Davis is a better scorer.

Leaky Black

▪ 2019 stats: 6.5 pg, 5.0 rpg, 2.5 apg

▪ When healthy, Black is easily the most versatile player on the roster. The 6-8, 195-pound junior can fluidly move anywhere from point guard to small forward in a possession. He was second on the team with 83 assists last season. Black could be the “glue guy” who makes it all come together for the Heels.

Garrison Brooks

▪ 2019 stats: 16.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg

▪ The Heels’ leading scorer returning and leading rebounder who emerged as a go-to scorer after spending his first two seasons as a role player. The senior forward is on the watch list for NABC Player of the Year, which is an honor he never would have guessed to be a part of when he arrived as a freshman with minimal expectations. Brooks has worked on expanding his shooting range, so don’t be surprised to see him launch a shot or two from the perimeter this season.

Armando Bacot

▪ 2019 stats: 9.6 ppg, 8.2 rpg

▪ This position is one that is truly up for grabs between the 6-10, 240-pound sophomore forward and freshman Day’Ron Sharpe. Bacot has the advantage of experience and has worked hard to improve his game around the rim. He also led the Tar Heels with 36 blocks last season.

Depth situation

The frontcourt will have the kind of depth and rotation that Williams likes having. Between returnees Brooks and Bacot and freshmen Walker Kessler and Sharpe, Williams should never have to resort to a four-guard lineup. Sharpe has displayed the kind of talent that may be hard to keep out of the starting lineup.

The concern, or at least the unknown, for the Tar Heels is what kind of production it will get on the wing, where it has the least amount of experience and depth. It wouldn’t be surprising if 6-4, 205-pound senior Andrew Platek starts as one of the lone guards with experience returning. Redshirt freshman Anthony Harris is still working his way back from a torn ACL. The additions of Puff Johnson and Walton should help, but that means the Heels will be over-reliant on freshmen to produce.

Betting odds

▪ Win ACC: +700 (7/1)

▪ Win national championship: +2800 (28/1)

▪ Reach Final Four: +650 (13/2)

UNC basketball roster

▪ Head coach: Roy Williams, 18th season (885-253 overall, 467-152 UNC)

UNC 2020-21 basketball schedule

(+) — Maui Invitational in Asheville

(*) — ACC games

This story was originally published November 24, 2020 at 11:06 AM with the headline "Ultimate guide to the UNC Tar Heels basketball season. Everything you’d want to know.."

C.L. Brown

The News & Observer

C.L. Brown covers the University of North Carolina for The News & Observer. Brown brings more than two decades of reporting experience including stints as the beat writer on Indiana University and the University of Louisville. After a long stay at the Louisville Courier-Journal, where he earned an APSE award, he’s had stops at ESPN.com, The Athletic and even tried his hand at running his own website, clbrownhoops.com.