ACC Basketball: Previewing the most stacked conference in college basketball

Mar 27, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams celebrates with his team after defeating Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the championship game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. Carolina won 88-74. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

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Apr 4, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Justin Jackson (44) shoots the ball against Villanova Wildcats guard Josh Hart (3) during the first half in the championship game of the 2016 NCAA Men’s Final Four at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

4. North Carolina Tar Heels

2015-16 record: 33-7 overall, 14-4 in ACC, reached NCAA Tournament National Championship Game

Head coach: Roy Williams

Returning players: Joel Berry II, Nate Britt, Justin Jackson, Theo Pinson, Kenny Williams, Isaiah Hicks, Kennedy Meeks

Notable newcomers: Five-star C Tony Bradley, four-star SG Brandon Robinson, four-star SG Seventh Woods

The North Carolina Tar Heels lost a heartbreaker in the NCAA Championship to Villanova last year. But what’s more important is that they lost Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson for 2016-17.

Those two are awfully important.

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Point guard Joel Berry II is being talked about as one of the best players in the nation and while he is talented, what most are forgetting is Paige drew most of the defensive attention last year. Now with his presence missing, Berry is going to get the stronger defenders, making it harder on him to make plays offensively.

Guard/forward Justin Jackson has proven to be an inconsistent threat, nonetheless he can be a potent shooter at times.

Big man Kennedy Meeks just hasn’t been as good as advertised. Luckily, forward Isaiah Hicks keeps getting better and better and they brought in a five-star center Tony Bradley. The Tar Heels will surely take a step back from last year, but they still will float around the top. Roy Williams had a strong recruiting class and returned a lot of experienced players.