A Way-Too-Early Look at UNC’s Starting Lineup For The 2019-20 Season

Tuesday was a big day for UNC basketball, as five-star recruit Cole Anthony signed his letter of intent to play in Chapel Hill next season.

With the recruiting cycle coming to an end, Roy Williams and his staff have a good idea of what the Tar Heels will look like next season. After losing three seniors and a pair of freshmen to the NBA Draft, UNC will have major work to do this offseason to replace that production.

Anthony’s commitment is a major boost and gives Williams a focal point to build around for next season. Anthony is likely the Tar Heels’ best scorer next season and will fit nicely into the point guard role vacated by Coby White.

But other than Anthony, who projects to start for the Tar Heels next season? Let’s take a look.

Cole Anthony, freshman

High school stats: 18.0 ppg, .479 FG%, .366 3P%, 9.8 RPG, 9.5 APG (Oak Hill Academy, Va.)

Anthony will finish as one of the best players in the 2019 class and the highest ranked point guard coming out of high school since Kyrie Irving in 2010. He was named the MVP of the McDonald’s All-American game, the co-MVP of the Jordan Brand Classic, and the MVP in Team USA’s win at the Nike Hoop Summit.

Anthony is a dynamic scorer and projects to start immediately for the Tar Heels. Draft analysts have Anthony pegged as a Top-10 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft assuming he goes pro after his freshman season.

Garrison Brooks, junior

2018-19 stats: 7.9 ppg, .574 FG%, N/A 3P%, 5.6 RPG, 1.3 APG

Career stats: 6.2 ppg, .557 FG%, N/A 3P%, 4.5 RPG, 0.9 APG

Brooks is the only starter that the Tar Heels return next season. He started all 36 games as a sophomore, averaging 7.9 point and 5.6 rebounds per game.

A former four-star recruit, Brooks was also named UNC’s Defensive Player of the Year and the Most Improved Player at the team’s award ceremony. With Luke Maye, Cam Johnson, and Kenny Williams departing, Brooks enters next season as the Tar Heels’ most experienced player and will be looked upon as a leader in the locker room.

Brandon Robinson, senior

2018-19 stats: 3.4 ppg, .494 FG%, .460 3P%, 1.6 RPG, 1.4 APG

Career stats: 2.3 ppg, .415 FG%, .379 3P%, 1.4 RPG, 0.9 APG

A former four-star recruit, Robinson has been a primary option off the bench at guard during his career in Chapel Hill. His playing time has increased throughout his three years and was playing critical minutes for North Carolina down the stretch last season.

Robinson’s role is not guaranteed, as graduate transfers Christian Keeling (Charleston Southern) and Justin Pierce (William & Mary) are set to visit UNC in the next few weeks.

Leaky Black, sophomore

2018-19 stats: 2.5 ppg, .469 FG%, .417 3P%, 2.1 RPG, 1.2 APG

Black was third member of the 2018 recruiting class along with White and Nassir Little. With those two off to the NBA, Black will have the opportunity to step in as a starter.

However, he is also the biggest unknown out of all the projected starters. Black sustained a high ankle sprain against Georgia Tech on January 29 and was not cleared to play again until the ACC Tournament. If he’s healthy, Black can be a talented forward for UNC.

https://twitter.com/tvippolis/status/1082845871857897473

Armando Bacot, freshman

High school stats: 12.4 ppg, .620 FG%, .478 3P%, 7.7 RPG, 0.9 APG

Bacot was a one of UNC’s most important recruits this cycle. Not only is he a talented player, but his relationship with Anthony was certainly a factor in the five-star recruits teaming up in Chapel Hill.

At 6 feet 10 inches, Bacot projects to contend for immediate playing time at center. He could end up being a multi-year starter for the Tar Heels and a building block for future recruiting classes.

‹

UNC Basketball vs. Duke: How To Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time

Despite the poor record from both teams, UNC vs. Duke is still the best rivalry in college basketball. The Tar Heels (11-6, 6-4 ACC) look to rebound tonight after suffering a dismal loss to Clemson earlier this week. Meanwhile, Duke (7-6, 5-4 ACC) is coming off of a defeat to Miami as well. Will this […]

UNC's Comeback Falls Short Against Wake Forest

After a crushing loss to rival Duke on Saturday, UNC couldn’t muster the energy required to take on Wake Forest in Winston-Salem and fell 74-57 to the Demon Deacons. The Tar Heels (10-14, 3-10) now sit at the bottom of the ACC with Miami. Wake Forest (11-13, 4-10) was the cellar dweller in the conference, […]

UNC Freshman Cole Anthony Expected to Miss Several Weeks Following Surgery

UNC freshman point guard Cole Anthony will miss four to six weeks after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure to treat a partially torn meniscus in his right knee on Monday, the university announced on Tuesday. Anthony missed the Tar Heels’ game against Wofford in Carmichael Arena — a 64-68 loss to the Terriers — and junior […]

UNC Basketball vs. UNCW: How To Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time

UNC basketball takes on UNC-Wilmington tonight in the Tar Heels’ first road game of the season. The Tar Heels start the season 1-0 after a 34-point performance from Cole Anthony spurred them to an opening-night win over Notre Dame. The freshman was sensational, ditching his rec specs midway through the game and scoring the most […]

Former UNC Players, National Media React to Cole Anthony's Debut

UNC freshman Cole Anthony — the gem of Roy Williams’ latest recruiting class — put on a show in the Tar Heels’ season opener against Notre Dame, putting up 34 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. It was the most points of any UNC freshman in their debut, breaking the record held by Rashad McCants […]

Chansky's Notebook: Who's Counting?

Boy, these summertime basketball bloggers are bad at math. It must be a long summer for these bloggers, mostly Kool-Aid drinking Dukies. I’ve been on them before, and even I thought enough was enough. Until I saw the post on Fansided a couple of days ago that rated the best college basketball coaches in the […]

Dakota's Notebook: Is Roy Williams Early To The Grad Transfer Revolution?

Roy Williams and UNC basketball may have been late to the one-and-done trend, but it looks like they’re early to the grad transfer revolution. Roy’s decision to take two graduate transfers for next season makes sense on paper. After all, the Tar Heels are losing five key players and only Garrison Brooks remains as a […]

UNC Basketball Goes from Rebuilding to Reloading for 2019-20 Season

UNC basketball is suddenly a contender for the 2019-20 season. In the span of a few weeks, Roy Williams has rebuilt his roster to make the Tar Heels a major threat heading into next season. Williams has done so in a way that seemingly goes against his recruiting philosophy: by bringing in one-and-done recruits and […]

Is Armando Bacot UNC's Best Recruiter?

Tuesday was a big day for UNC basketball, as five-star Cole Anthony and four-star Anthony Harris both signed to play for the Tar Heels. The two commitments pushed Carolina’s recruiting class to No. 6 in the nation and second in the ACC behind Duke. Roy Williams praised both players and said Anthony was “one of […]

A Way-Too-Early Look at UNC's Starting Lineup For The 2019-20 Season

Tuesday was a big day for UNC basketball, as five-star recruit Cole Anthony signed his letter of intent to play in Chapel Hill next season. With the recruiting cycle coming to an end, Roy Williams and his staff have a good idea of what the Tar Heels will look like next season. After losing three […]

›