It's the best decision for him.
This makes UNC a legit top five team, IMO.
Next year should be fun!
This makes UNC a legit top five team, IMO.
Next year should be fun!
Justin Jackson Returning to UNC
- Thread starter dukiejay
- Start date
This is huge for them. As far as Heels go, I like Jackson. This is big for Seventh Woods. He won't have to force as much.
I just cannot see the Holes as a top 5 team next season with Jackson. He is a decent player but has not shown to be a game changer. I see them as maybe a top 12 team and losing several games in the ACC.
College basketball will be loaded and fun to watch next season. I don't think UNC is a top 5 team though. Duke, UK, Michigan St, Kansas, and Villanova should be better. Personally, I think Duke, UK, Michigan St, and KU will be the heavy favorites.
I kind of like Jackson returning because if he leaves next year, UNC will be losing a lot with 3 seniors and potentially JJ. UNC's successful teams tend to be dependent on experience, and the 2018 will most likely be lacking in a lot of quality experience. They will be good next year with the talent to beat just about everyone one - but I feel like they're lacking a true alpha dog to be considered a contender.
I like the fact they bring everyone back as well. The difference between last season and next season is UNC won't have the luxury of playing a bunch of upperclassman in a weak year of college basketball.
I think that if you were to put 5 teams ahead of them, a couple would be a stretch. They will be very good.
No way they're Top 5. unc...where player development and draft stock go to die.
Thirty players ranked top 15 in RSCI rankings 2013 & 2014. Only four will remain in school next season: Justin Jackson Theo Pinson Isaiah Hicks Kasey Hill. unx may have strengthened their roster for the immediate future but they definitely reinforced the growing perception ( and reality! ) that Roy is a talent killer.
Thirty players ranked top 15 in RSCI rankings 2013 & 2014. Only four will remain in school next season: Justin Jackson Theo Pinson Isaiah Hicks Kasey Hill. unx may have strengthened their roster for the immediate future but they definitely reinforced the growing perception ( and reality! ) that Roy is a talent killer.
I think Brice Johnson will be missed more than the Holes want to admit. He was the one great player they had this past season and seemed to score easily when they were building a nice lead and his rebounding will be greatly missed. Johnson had a unique ability to get in position quickly and score or rebound what was often better than anyone in College Hoops. We know Marcus Paige's leadership is gone and these two will be greatly missed, at least I hope so.
Now that they threw the womens basketball team under the bus, er, I mean, don't have to worry as much about the NCAA this year, Carolina will be unstoppable. So good in fact, Ol Roy won't have to call a single timeout next year.
Jackson definitely helps, but I think a top 5 ranking would come more on the residual effects of this year...Jackson and Berry will be much more targeted by opposing D's minus Paige and Johnson....I am reassured too by Roy's return..(unless he gets wise and listens to Pinson-"somebody needs to pick up Jenkins!")
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UNC will still have the heavy experience factor. That said, there will be more "better" teams this next season too.
I would also add that last year at this time no one, including UNC fans, pictured Brice Johnson being a first-team All-American. Starting with a core of Jackson, Berry, Meeks, Pinson and Hicks is a good foundation. Top five nationally might be a bit aggressive, but I like teams heavy on experience.
I would also add that last year at this time no one, including UNC fans, pictured Brice Johnson being a first-team All-American. Starting with a core of Jackson, Berry, Meeks, Pinson and Hicks is a good foundation. Top five nationally might be a bit aggressive, but I like teams heavy on experience.
I see Meeks and Hicks in foul trouble quite a bit next year....Johnson took some of those fouls this year (even though he still isnt convinced he commited 'em,lol) and this will hurt North Carolina....
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Brice Johnson was foul-prone and tended to let others get in his head too. Just sayin'. As he matured we saw a different Brice.
I dislike UNC as much or more than most here and don't want them to be good. But I feel as if I'd be kidding myself if I didn't acknowledge they're set up to be pretty good again.
I dislike UNC as much or more than most here and don't want them to be good. But I feel as if I'd be kidding myself if I didn't acknowledge they're set up to be pretty good again.
I think his TALENT LEVEL showed up tremendously, but just from a personal standpoint I didnt see "maturity" on ability to accept fouls called by Brice. I remember him punching the ball or something in an NCAA tourney game (Notre Dame perhaps?), so I think that stigma follows him to the league.
No doubt they are "set-up" to be strong again, but I defer to Devil DJ, others....Roy had it all set-up THIS YEAR..We shall see but as someone said do they have the "alpha dog" type to take over...I think Paige scored their last 10 pts or so of their last game...JS
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UNCheat will be very good again. Imagine the hype around a final 4 consisting of Duke, UK, and UNCheat.... Epic!
unc will be tough again next year. It will be interesting to see how strong they will be at the 5 with kennedy meeks and BIG luke maye in the paint. OFC
Sometimes, heavy experience means less talent, and that may be the case this season with the stacked recruiting classes.
Kansas has a nice class with Azubuike and Jackson and Lightfoot will be a nice addition. Add that to a veteran team, and I'd say they look better than UNC on paper.
Duke. Obviously.
UK. Obviously.
MSU is adding Miles Bridges who is an Izzo player through and through. And he is GOOD. Add him to that core and I think they will be at least equal to UNC by season's end.
Arizona, quiet as kept has a recruiting class equal to that of Duke and UK. Can Sean Miller coach? Big question there.
Nova returns a nice core and are the defending champs, if Josh Hart comes back, they might the #1.
I think UNC will be there. Tony Bradley will be great, Robinson is a nice player and Woods is a shorter Pinson, he won't make much of a difference this year, then again he might. Jackson will be tough and Berry will be better. So UNC will be there.
Kansas has a nice class with Azubuike and Jackson and Lightfoot will be a nice addition. Add that to a veteran team, and I'd say they look better than UNC on paper.
Duke. Obviously.
UK. Obviously.
MSU is adding Miles Bridges who is an Izzo player through and through. And he is GOOD. Add him to that core and I think they will be at least equal to UNC by season's end.
Arizona, quiet as kept has a recruiting class equal to that of Duke and UK. Can Sean Miller coach? Big question there.
Nova returns a nice core and are the defending champs, if Josh Hart comes back, they might the #1.
I think UNC will be there. Tony Bradley will be great, Robinson is a nice player and Woods is a shorter Pinson, he won't make much of a difference this year, then again he might. Jackson will be tough and Berry will be better. So UNC will be there.
We could easily throw Kansas into that mix too... Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, UNC in the Final Four? Not likely, but it could happen. Turner/NCAA would love this type of FF showdown.
That may be true but this time last year everybody knew Carolina would be a good team and possibly the best team.. They'll have good games but they'll still drop some they shouldn't like normal.. They aren't a threat to us unless we seriously dissapoint
UNC will be good- Berry will shine through as their best player next year. He's a very good point guard who has had to share the position and ball with Paige. Paige is gone, and while a nice kid, he peaked very early on and never got better, in fact he regressed- whether that be b/c of injuries or otherwise, it's just the truth. Berry now knows it is his team and his team alone, and that's a huge thing for UNC's success. While he wont do anything in the pro's most likely, he is a really good college PG.
How the core develops between JJ, Hicks and Pinson is where this team's ceiling is. I think Meeks is who he is, you know what you're getting and he wont make a big jump. Bradley to me is their X-factor. If roy allows him to be the player he can be, give him minutes and play alongside some of those guys like hicks and JJ- they could be good. Definnitely a top 10 team on experience alone. As a team though, their ceiling or margin for error will not be as high as some of those other uber talented teams like Duke, UK, MSU, KU.
How the core develops between JJ, Hicks and Pinson is where this team's ceiling is. I think Meeks is who he is, you know what you're getting and he wont make a big jump. Bradley to me is their X-factor. If roy allows him to be the player he can be, give him minutes and play alongside some of those guys like hicks and JJ- they could be good. Definnitely a top 10 team on experience alone. As a team though, their ceiling or margin for error will not be as high as some of those other uber talented teams like Duke, UK, MSU, KU.
All good points...However despite all of Paige's shortcomings he was the one basically the others WATCHED in the final game on offense at Crunch Time...Perhaps Berry picks up that mantle, because he's VERY GOOD when left pretty much unguarded...(Jackson/Berry both pretty much invisible 2nd half Villanova)...
Think you can credit novas defense for shutting down berry in the 2nd half. But I see what you're saying.
They lose their team leader and best shooter in Paige and they lose their 1st team all american. They will be worse than people think. They have nobody that can consistently shoot the ball either.
There were posters on this board, some of whom have posted in this thread, that said UNC would be the same team this past season as they were the year before. That obviously wasn't true.
Like I said, maybe I overstated a bit in saying they're a top five team, but I'd be hard-pressed to find seven or eight better on paper right now. Using that logic I think they're clearly among a group of teams to be considered as a Final Four threat.
Not sure if you were one of them or not but there were many that said that this past year also.
I wasn't posting this past year btw, but I had UNC as a shoo-in FF (this time a yr ago) considering the wealth of talent coming back...
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There's going to be a lot of really good teams in 2017, much like 2015. There are four programs that stand out as elite to me. Kansas returns 3 starters + quality bench players and a couple of 5-star recruits. UK is probably bringing in six 5-star recruits to go along with Briscoe and Willis. Nova should return everyone minus 2 seniors; throw in transfer-stud Eric Paschall and 5* recruit Spellman and you have a heck of a team. Oregon is bringing back a lot of talent; Wisconsin is bringing everyone back; Michigan State is bringing in serious talent, as is Arizona. UNC will be good, but I think they're a second-tier team right now. The more I think of it, the more I really like Oregon, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Michigan State. Those are 8 really, really good teams to watch out for in 2017... I think Texas and UCLA could turn some heads too. I'm excited!
Top Tier of contenders:
Duke
Kansas
Kentucky
Villanova
Second-Tier of contenders:
Oregon
Arizona
Michigan State
Wisconsin
UNC
Indiana
Virginia
Louisivlle
Xavier
Top Tier of contenders:
Duke
Kansas
Kentucky
Villanova
Second-Tier of contenders:
Oregon
Arizona
Michigan State
Wisconsin
UNC
Indiana
Virginia
Louisivlle
Xavier
I think UNCheat is at least top 8 this season. I do agree they will miss Brice greatly but I like that Bradley kid, he'll do good things for them. Paige will be missed as well, interesting to see who hits those end of game jumpers now.