HOUSTON — As much as he might not want it to, any discussion of the North Carolina men’s basketball team’s future must start with coach Roy Williams.
Though he repeatedly has said he does not plan to retire, the 65-year-old has been slowed by knee pain and collapsed during a game this season because of vertigo. He could decide to spend more time on the golf course.
Not that North Carolina should have any trouble replacing him, as it is one of the best jobs in college basketball — even with potential NCAA sanctions looming from a years-long investigation into academic fraud involving athletes at the school.
Williams and his current players have not been directly implicated by the NCAA in the malfeasance, though former players were enrolled in the questionable classes that are the center of the investigation and one said publicly that Williams knew what was going on. It remains unclear how the NCAA will deal with the case, in part because the scope of it is unprecedented but also because it is always difficult to predict how the committee on infractions will rule.
Beyond those uncertainties, the Tar Heels will lose seniors Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson after falling to Villanova 77-74 in the title game. They combined to average almost 30 points per game this season. Paige has been a four-year starter at guard and is a Williams favorite. Johnson emerged this season to become a first-team All-American at forward.
Sophomore small forward Justin Jackson is an NBA prospect but likely will return after averaging 12.3 points. Joel Berry II, the most valuable player in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, should be back to run the point as a junior.
Starting forward Kennedy Meeks (9.4 points per game, 5.9 rebounds per game) could consider entering the NBA draft but is an undersized center who likely would not be a first-round pick. Reserves Nate Britt, Isaiah Hicks and Theo Pinson also should be back.
North Carolina signed the ninth-ranked recruiting class in the nation, according to Rivals. It consists of three four-star players: Seventh Woods, a dynamic force in the backcourt who could fill some of Paige’s minutes; Tony Bradley, a 6-10 center who should develop into a powerful post presence; and Brandon Robinson, a 6-5 guard who could help the team improve its three-point shooting.
