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No. 6: NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS
Last Season: 33-7, 14-4 ACC
The Tar Heels lost Brice Johnson and Marcus Paige, but return three starters -- Joel Berry II, Justin Jackson and Kennedy Meeks -- from last year's team that was within a basket of winning the national title. Roy Williams also brings back key reserves Isaiah Hicks, Theo Pinson (currently injured) and Nate Britt, so UNC should have a chance to compete for another Final Four berth. -- Jeff Goodman
Best Case: Elite Eight. If you can reach an Elite Eight, you can also be termed a Final Four team. North Carolina has suffered in recruiting over the past four years due to the academic scandal that has been hanging over the athletic department. Instead of NBA Lottery talent, the Tar Heels relied upon some excellent players that were very experienced. North Carolina was the best team last season because it was older, tougher and experienced winning. But, with Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson gone, some go-to players are gone, too. Still, there is quality talent coming back, and the Carolina system will produce another winner. Joel Berry and Justin Jackson need to become those go-to scorers, and Isaiah Hicks needs to stay out of foul difficulty and play more minutes.
Worst Case: First-weekend casualty. North Carolina will be very good, but still vulnerable to a bad shooting night or an injury to a key player. This is not a title favorite, but it is a contending team. Still, after losing key personnel from a Final Four run, it is not horribly unusual for a ho-hum 25-win season.
