# 2015–16 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team

The 2015–16 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team's head coach was Roy Williams, who was in his 13th season as UNC's men's basketball head coach. The Tar Heels played their home games at the Dean Smith Center and were members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. North Carolina finished the season with a 33–7 record, 14–4 to win the ACC regular season championship. The Tar Heels defeated Virginia to win the ACC tournament. They received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as a #1 seed. There, they defeated Florida Gulf Coast, Providence, Indiana, and Notre Dame to earn a trip to the Final Four, the school's 19th trip to the Final Four. In a matchup against fellow ACC foe, Syracuse, the Tar Heels won easily to advance to the National Championship against Villanova. North Carolina, despite a circus shot by Marcus Paige to tie the game at 74 with less than five seconds remaining, lost on a last second three pointer by Kris Jenkins.

## Previous season

The Tar Heels finished the 2014–15 season 26–12, 11–7 in ACC play to finish in fifth place. They advanced to the championship game of the ACC tournament where they lost to Notre Dame. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they defeated Harvard and Arkansas before losing in the Sweet Sixteen to eventual National Runner-Up Wisconsin.

## Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes |
| Luke Davis | 4 | G | 6'0" | 178 | RS Senior | Raleigh, NC | Graduated |
| J. P. Tokoto | 13 | F | 6'6" | 200 | Junior | Menomonee Falls, WI | Declared for 2015 NBA draft |
| Desmond Hubert | 14 | F | 6'10" | 225 | Senior | Cream Ridge, NJ | Graduated |
| Jackson Simmons | 21 | F | 6'7" | 225 | Senior | Webster, NC | Graduated |
| Sasha Seymore | 24 | F | 6'6" | 220 | Senior | New Bern, NC | Graduated |

## Class of 2015 signees

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Kenny Williams SG | Chesterfield, VA | Lloyd C. Bird High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | May 2, 2015 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Luke Maye PF | Huntersville, NC | Hough High School | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | Nov 11, 2014 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2015 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 8, 2015. ||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| Nov 6, 2015* 7:30 pm | No. 1 | Guilford | W 99–49 | | 14 – Tied | 7 – Tied | 9 – Britt | Dean Smith Center (11,295) Chapel Hill, NC |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| Nov 13, 2015* 7:00 pm, CBSSN | No. 1 | vs. Temple Veterans Classic | W 91–67 | 1–0 | 25 – Meeks | 11 – Meeks | 5 – Pinson | Alumni Hall (5,710) Annapolis, MD |
| Nov 15, 2015* 4:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 1 | Fairfield CBE Hall of Fame Classic | W 92–65 | 2–0 | 17 – Britt | 12 – Meeks | 8 – Pinson | Dean Smith Center (13,178) Chapel Hill, NC |
| Nov 18, 2015* 7:00 pm, RSN | No. 1 | Wofford CBE Hall of Fame Classic | W 78–58 | 3–0 | 16 – Tied | 14 – Johnson | 4 – Tied | Dean Smith Center (12,095) Chapel Hill, NC |
| Nov 21, 2015* 2:00 pm, ESPN3 | No. 1 | at Northern Iowa | L 67–71 | 3–1 | 22 – Johnson | 9 – Johnson | 5 – Paige | McLeod Center (7,018) Cedar Falls, IA |
| Nov 23, 2015* 9:30 pm, ESPN2 | No. 9 | vs. Northwestern CBE Hall of Fame Classic Semifinal | W 80–69 | 4–1 | 21 – Jackson | 13 – Jackson | 8 – Pinson | Sprint Center (13,598) Kansas City, MO |
| Nov 24, 2015* 10:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 9 | vs. Kansas State CBE Hall of Fame Classic Championship | W 80–70 | 5–1 | 27 – Jackson | 7 – Meeks | 9 – Paige | Sprint Center (13,198) Kansas City, MO |
| Dec 1, 2015* 9:30 pm, ESPN | No. 9 | No. 2 Maryland ACC–Big Ten Challenge | W 90–75 | 6–1 | 27 – Berry II | 6 – Tied | 5 – Tied | Dean Smith Center (21,163) Chapel Hill, NC |
| Dec 6, 2015* 6:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 9 | Davidson | W 98–65 | 7–1 | 17 – Britt | 10 – Meeks | 4 – Tied | Dean Smith Center (14,805) Chapel Hill, NC |
| Dec 12, 2015* 5:15 pm, ESPN | No. 3 | at Texas | L 82–84 | 7–2 | 20 – Paige | 6 – Meeks | 3 – Paige | Frank Erwin Center (16,540) Austin, TX |
| Dec 16, 2015* 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 11 | Tulane | W 96–72 | 8–2 | 25 – Johnson | 10 – Johnson | 9 – Berry II | Dean Smith Center (16,199) Chapel Hill, NC |
| Dec 19, 2015* 1:00 pm, CBS | No. 11 | vs. No. 22 UCLA CBS Sports Classic | W 89–76 | 9–2 | 27 – Johnson | 9 – Johnson | 6 – Paige | Barclays Center (16,311) Brooklyn, NY |
| Dec 21, 2015* 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 7 | Appalachian State | W 94–70 | 10–2 | 22 – Johnson | 10 – Jackson | 11 – Berry II | Dean Smith Center (18,336) Chapel Hill, NC |
| Dec 28, 2015* 6:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 7 | UNC Greensboro | W 96–63 | 11–2 | 16 – Johnson | 16 – Johnson | 5 – Britt | Dean Smith Center (19,246) Chapel Hill, NC |
| ACC Regular Season |||||||||
| Dec 30, 2015 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 7 | Clemson | W 80–69 | 12–2 (1–0) | 18 – Paige | 9 – Johnson | 4 – Berry II | Dean Smith Center (17,168) Chapel Hill, NC |
| Jan 2, 2016 12:00 pm, ACCN | No. 7 | Georgia Tech | W 86–78 | 13–2 (2–0) | 19 – Berry II | 11 – Johnson | 4 – Berry II | Dean Smith Center (17,392) Chapel Hill, NC |
| Jan 4, 2016 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 6 | at Florida State | W 106–90 | 14–2 (3–0) | 39 – Johnson | 23 – Johnson | 5 – Paige | Donald L. Tucker Civic Center (11,095) Tallahassee, FL |
| Jan 9, 2016 8:00 pm, ESPN | No. 6 | at Syracuse | W 84–73 | 15–2 (4–0) | 21 – Hicks | 8 – Hicks | 8 – Tied | Carrier Dome (26,811) Syracuse, NY |
| Jan 16, 2016 12:00 pm, ESPN | No. 5 | NC State Carolina–State Game | W 67–55 | 16–2 (5–0) | 23 – Meeks | 6 – Tied | 4 – Tied | Dean Smith Center (21,750) Chapel Hill, NC |
| Jan 20, 2016 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 2 | Wake Forest | W 83–68 | 17–2 (6–0) | 27 – Johnson | 11 – Johnson | 3 – Tied | Dean Smith Center (19,053) Chapel Hill, NC |
| Jan 24, 2016 6:30 pm, ESPNU | No. 2 | at Virginia Tech | W 75–70 | 18–2 (7–0) | 19 – Johnson | 17 – Johnson | 7 – Paige | Lane Stadium (9,567) Blacksburg, VA |
| Jan 30, 2016 4:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 2 | Boston College | W 89–62 | 19–2 (8–0) | 17 – Johnson | 11 – Johnson | 6 – Tied | Dean Smith Center (20,208) Chapel Hill, NC |
| Feb 1, 2016 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 2 | at No. 19 Louisville | L 65–71 | 19–3 (8–1) | 16 – Jackson | 11 – Johnson | 4 – Paige | KFC Yum! Center (22,781) Louisville, KY |
| Feb 6, 2016 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 2 | at Notre Dame ESPN College GameDay | L 76–80 | 19–4 (8–2) | 21 – Paige | 14 – Johnson | 5 – Berry II | Edmund P. Joyce Center (9,149) South Bend, IN |
| Feb 9, 2016 8:00 pm, ACCN | No. 9 | at Boston College | W 68–65 | 20–4 (9–2) | 20 – Jackson | 7 – Meeks | 6 – Berry II | Conte Forum (5,126) Chestnut Hill, MA |
| Feb 14, 2016 1:00 pm, ACCN | No. 9 | Pittsburgh | W 85–64 | 21–4 (10–2) | 19 – Johnson | 7 – Johnson | 6 – Tied | Dean Smith Center (20,011) Chapel Hill, NC |
| Feb 17, 2016 9:00 pm, ESPN/ACCN | No. 5 | No. 20 Duke Rivalry | L 73–74 | 21–5 (10–3) | 29 – Johnson | 19 – Johnson | 6 – Britt | Dean Smith Center (21,750) Chapel Hill, NC |
| Feb 20, 2016 1:00 pm, CBS | No. 5 | No. 11 Miami (FL) | W 96–71 | 22–5 (11–3) | 16 – Johnson | 15 – Johnson | 8 – Jackson | Dean Smith Center (20,151) Chapel Hill, NC |
| Feb 24, 2016 8:00 pm, ACCN | No. 7 | at NC State Carolina–State Game | W 80–68 | 23–5 (12–3) | 22 – Johnson | 11 – Johnson | 3 – Tied | PNC Arena (19,500) Raleigh, NC |
| Feb 27, 2016 6:30 pm, ESPN | No. 7 | at No. 3 Virginia ESPN College GameDay | L 74–79 | 23–6 (12–4) | 21 – Berry II | 7 – Johnson | 4 – Tied | John Paul Jones Arena (14,593) Charlottesville, VA |
| Feb 29, 2016 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 8 | Syracuse | W 75–70 | 24–6 (13–4) | 14 – Johnson | 10 – Johnson | 8 – Paige | Dean Smith Center (20,714) Chapel Hill, NC |
| Mar 5, 2016 6:30 pm, ESPN | No. 8 | at No. 17 Duke Rivalry/ESPN College GameDay | W 76–72 | 25–6 (14–4) | 18 – Johnson | 21 – Johnson | 4 – Pinson | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| ACC Tournament |||||||||
| March 10, 2016 12:00 pm, ESPN/ACCN | (1) No. 7 | vs. (8) Pittsburgh Quarterfinals | W 88–71 | 26–6 | 20 – Berry II | 10 – Johnson | 7 – Pinson | Verizon Center (18,561) Washington, D.C. |
| March 11, 2016 7:00 pm, ESPN/ACCN | (1) No. 7 | vs. (4) Notre Dame Semifinals | W 78–47 | 27–6 | 16 – Paige | 15 – Hicks | 7 – Paige | Verizon Center (20,719) Washington, D.C. |
| March 12, 2016 9:00 pm, ESPN/ACCN | (1) No. 7 | vs. (2) No. 4 Virginia Championship | W 61–57 | 28–6 | 19 – Berry II | 9 – Johnson | 5 – Johnson | Verizon Center (20,719) Washington, D.C. |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| Mar 17, 2016* 7:20 pm, TBS | (1 E) No. 3 | vs. (16 E) Florida Gulf Coast First Round | W 83–67 | 29–6 | 18 – Johnson | 7 – Johnson | 5 – Paige | PNC Arena (17,387) Raleigh, NC |
| Mar 19, 2016* 9:40 pm, TBS | (1 E) No. 3 | vs. (9 E) Providence Second Round | W 85–66 | 30–6 | 21 – Johnson | 10 – Johnson | 3 – Tied | PNC Arena (19,433) Raleigh, NC |
| Mar 25, 2016* 9:57 pm, TBS | (1 E) No. 3 | vs. (5 E) No. 14 Indiana Sweet Sixteen | W 101–86 | 31–6 | 21 – Paige | 10 – Johnson | 6 – Paige | Wells Fargo Center (20,686) Philadelphia, PA |
| Mar 27, 2016 8:49 pm, TBS | (1 E) No. 3 | vs. (6 E) Notre Dame Elite Eight | W 88–74 | 32–6 | 25 – Johnson | 12 – Johnson | 8 – Berry II | Wells Fargo Center (20,743) Philadelphia, PA |
| April 2, 2016 8:49 pm, TBS | (1 E) No. 3 | vs. (10 MW) Syracuse Final Four | W 83–66 | 33–6 | 16 – Tied | 9 – Johnson | 10 – Berry II | NRG Stadium (75,505) Houston, TX |
| April 4, 2016* 9:19 pm, TBS | (1 E) No. 3 | vs. (2 S) No. 6 Villanova National Championship | L 74–77 | 33–7 | 21 – Paige | 8 – Johnson | 6 – Paige | NRG Stadium (74,340) Houston, TX |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. E=East region. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking т = Tied with team above or below :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final |
| AP | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 3 | N/A |
| Coaches | 1-T | 1 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 2 |

## Players drafted into the NBA

| Year | Round | Pick | Player | NBA Club |
| 2016 | 1 | 25 | Brice Johnson | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2016 | 2 | 55 | Marcus Paige | Brooklyn Nets |
| 2017 | 1 | 15 | Justin Jackson | Portland Trail Blazers |