North Carolina basketball roster: Starting lineup prediction, bench rotation, depth outlook for 2022-23 season

As late as mid-February, it seemed uncertain whether North Carolina would even qualify for the 2022 NCAA Tournament, let alone be positioned to make a deep run. But the Tar Heels turned it on down the stretch in coach Hubert Davis’ first season and made an improbable run to the national title game as a No. 8 seed.

Now, with four of five starters returning from that team, expectations for UNC are sky-high as the dust settles on college basketball’s cycle of offseason player movement. North Carolina sits at No. 2 in Gary Parrish’s Top 25 and 1, and will likely be favored to win the ACC over rival Duke, which will have seven true freshmen on scholarship under new coach Jon Scheyer.

While North Carolina’s core of players appear settled, led by familiar names such as Caleb Love and Armando Bacot, there are still questions about the roster’s makeup. The Tar Heels ranked 348th of 358 teams nationally last season in bench minutes, per KenPom, but Davis has filled all 13 scholarships for the season ahead.

Will the second-year coach find a way to get more substantive contributions from those outside the starting lineup as he welcomes the nation’s No. 11 recruiting class  to campus? Here is a glance at how the Tar Heels’ roster — and a potential rotation — shake up with a roster that appears settled.

Projected starting lineup

1. Caleb Love

6-4 | 195 | Jr.

After a disappointing freshman season, Love took big strides as a sophomore and began living up to his five-star prospect billing. His legendary 27-point outburst in the second half against UCLA in the Sweet 16 helped propel the Tar Heels on their Final Four run. He followed up with 27 against Duke as UNC secured a spot in the national title game. Love still has room to grow by becoming more efficient offensively, and another leap will put him in the running for first-team All-ACC honors.

2. RJ Davis

6-0 | 160 | Jr.

Davis also took a nice step forward in his sophomore season, averaging 13.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game while starting all 39 of UNC’s contests. He and Love make for a dynamic one-two punch offensively, as both can facilitate the offense or explode for a scoring run of their own. If one or both can become lockdown defenders as juniors, it would go a long way toward helping UNC reach its full potential after the Tar Heels struggled defensively at times last season.

3. Leaky Black

6-8 | 195 | Sr.

Though…