North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball 2018-19 season preview

Overview: Starting their season last year with a careless hand injury by second-team All-ACC point guard Joel Berry II, anxiety ran high for North Carolina's performance in the first few weeks of the season. Losing talented rebounders Kennedy Meeks, Isaiah Hicks, and Tony Bradley, finishing around the basket was a weakness the team had to work on throughout their season. The Tar Heels were unsuccessful in the NCAA tournament, as they were sent home after a loss to Texas A&M in the second round.

Entering as the eighth-ranked team in the AP preseason poll, expectations are definitely higher going into this season. Senior Luke Maye was selected as the ACC Preseason Player of the Year and earned first-team All-ACC and third-team All America honors as a junior last year. Averaging 16.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game last season, he will be a key role in the team’s good shooting and rebounding. There’s a huge hype for freshman Nassir Little, as his energy on the court has been highlighted in his high school mixtapes, and he’s expected to be a high draft pick. With three starters who have had previous experience on in the NCAA tournament— Maye, Cam Johnson, and Kenny Williams—and two McDonalds All-Americans from the class of 2018—Little and Coby White—there will be balance on the floor.

One thing that needs to go right: Maye dominates around the rim with rebounding and scoring, bringing back the reputation of North Carolina as an inside-out presence

One thing that could go wrong: With a freshman at point guard in White, the Tar Heels deal with too many rookie mistakes throughout the season.