Coming into the 2015-’16 season, North Carolina had clear championship goals. The Tar Heels’ returned four of their five starters, making them one of the most experienced teams in the country. Not only do all five starters have at least one year of experience, but UNC is led by two experienced and dynamic seniors in power forward Brice Johnson and shooting guard Marcus Paige.
This season, Johnson has shown tremendous improvement and has cemented himself as one of the more dominant players in the nation. Not only is Johnson leading his team in points per game with 16.6, but he also averaged a double-double, adding over 10 rebounds per game. In a dominant East Region, which includes players like Kris Dunn and Tyler Ulis, Johnson still may be the single best player in their corner of the bracket.
Paige, on the other hand, has shown much less consistency than his senior partner. After Paige sustained an injury early in the season, the senior point guard has struggled to find his range from behind the arc. After a 2014 campaign when Paige shot 40 percent from behind the arc, his numbers have dropped significantly this year, as he has only found the basket 32 percent of the time from deep. Still, Paige remains an important leader and floor general, dishing out four dimes per game.
Outside of the two seniors, one of North Carolina’s biggest strengths is its multifaceted offensive attack. The Tar Heels have four players who average over 10 points per game. Sophomore point guard Joel Berry II and sophomore forward Justin Jackson each average 12 points per game and shoot over 40 percent from the field. Additionally, junior center Kennedy Meeks, who has slimmed down significantly this season and has become much more mobile in the post, averages just under 10 points and six rebounds per game.
As a one seed with two key seniors, UNC recognizes the opportunity in front of it. Still, despite the talent and experience this roster exudes, the Tar Heels still need to show some improvement in order to get to the Final Four and accomplish their goal of becoming national champions. If Paige can start to hit his shots from behind the arc, the middle of the floor will open up for Johnson and Meeks to dominate the glass.
If Paige can end his regular-season shooting slump and Johnson continues to dominate around the glass, this Carolina team has as good of a chance as any other team to make a deep postseason run.
