North Carolina Basketball: 3 potential takeaways if Tar Heels land Pete Nance

The current state of the roster

This past season was quite the historical one for the Tar Heels. After Roy Williams’ retirement just over a year ago, this was the first season with Hubert Davis as head coach at North Carolina. The Tar Heels struggled at times this season and were blown out of multiple games over the first few months of the year. However, this group really came together, and the Tar Heels marched all the way to the National Championship game of the NCAA Tournament, upsetting Baylor, UCLA, and rival Duke along the way.

The even better news is that much of that successful starting lineup will return for one more season in Chapel Hill. First and foremost, forward Armando Bacot, who averaged 16.3 points and 13.1 rebounds per game last season, is an immediate frontrunner for ACC Player of the Year and a potential favorite to be an All-American. Junior guards Caleb Love (15.9 ppg, 3.6 apg last year) and RJ Davis (13.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg) are both back after taking massive steps forward last season. Additionally, the Tar Heels get another year from guards Leaky Black and Puff Johnson, who both played important roles late in the year.

The big piece the Tar Heels do lose is graduate transfer forward Brady Manek, who came to North Carolina for one season after starring at Oklahoma. Manek averaged 15.1 points per game, made 60% of his shots from the field, and was a talented shooter all over the court. His presence will certainly be missed on the court, though it also presents the opportunity for some of these young players the chance to develop. In particular, 4-star point guard Seth Trimble and center Jalen Washington should find their way into the rotation this season.