University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Start Practice Monday
October 3, 2016 | Men's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL—The 2016-17 North Carolina men's basketball team will sport a different look after the graduations of longtime contributors Brice Johnson and Marcus Paige. That duo will soon have their jerseys honored in the rafters of the Smith Center, but three starters and six of the team's top eight scorers return, which has Roy Williams excited for his 14th season as the Tar Heel head coach.
UNC is the defending Atlantic Coast Conference regular season and tournament champion and advanced to an NCAA-record 19th Final Four and a 10th national championship game in 2015-16.
Junior Joel Berry II, the 2016 ACC Tournament MVP, junior Justin Jackson and senior Kennedy Meeks are the three returning starters, and 2016 ACC Sixth Man of the Year Isaiah Hicks also is back for his senior campaign along with steady senior guard Nate Britt.
Ten lettermen return overall, as well as a four-man freshman class that includes big man Tony Bradley, wings Brandon Robinson and Shea Rush and guard Seventh Woods. Ten of 14 Tar Heels on the roster have bulked up from their summer weights after the offseason conditioning program led by strength and conditioning coordinator Jonas Sahratian.
Preseason practice begins on Monday October 3 for Carolina, which will welcome the public to the Smith Center for the ceremonial tipoff to the season at Late Night With Roy on October 14. The Tar Heels will play an exhibition game against UNC Pembroke in Chapel Hill on November 4 before playing at Tulane on November 11 to open the regular season.
GoHeels.com will have exclusive and full coverage of the first day of practice starting on Monday afternoon, including thoughts from Adam Lucas, photos and behind-the-scenes video with Williams and the team at practice.
