ACC Basketball: 5 biggest questions for rest of 2019-20 season

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 21: Javin DeLaurier #12 and Wendell Moore Jr. #0 celebrate with Alex O'Connell #15 of the Duke Blue Devils after his dunk in the second half of their game against the California Golden Bears at Madison Square Garden on November 21, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /

3 of 6

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 15: Cole Anthony #2 of the North Carolina Tar Heels (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

2. Can UNC survive the month of January without Cole Anthony?

Adler

Well, the Tar Heels have looked pretty awful so far in 2019-20, including in multiple games where superstar Anthony actually competed. I feel really bad for this young man and hope he returns to the court fully healthy in the near future. As far as North Carolina, if guys including Garrison Brooks, Armando Bacot, Brandon Robinson and Leaky Black don’t step up in Anthony’s absence, it won’t really matter which groups the Tar Heels face in January or throughout the remainder of the regular term.

That being said, I do think UNC can manage to hold things together early in the new year, as the calendar is fairly favorable. The Tar Heels have home tilts in January with Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, Clemson and Miami. North Carolina also makes trips to N.C. State, Virginia Tech and Pitt. Conceivably, the Tar Heels could go 7-0 or 0-7 in the first month of 2020. However, if UNC could split the middle, and finish 4-3 or at worst 3-4 in January, then the Tar Heels would possess a realistic chance to re-enter the conversation for an at-large Big Dance berth, assuming Anthony comes back.

Walton

I, unfortunately, I have to go no on this one. North Carolina was already having some issues on offense and that was before Cole Anthony went down, so I definitely expect things to get worse.

Darlington

I think North Carolina will survive the month of January. None of the teams they face throughout the month are currently ranked, then again, neither are the Tar Heels. I think coaching and the guys they have will be able to do just enough to pull them through January with only 1 or 2 losses, if any at all.

Moore

I think UNC stays afloat during the month of January. They have plenty of home games against teams that near the bottom of the conference to start January. After those first three home games, they need to win at least one of their road games at VT, Pitt and NC State to have a reasonable chance to make the NCAA Tournament in my eyes.