North Carolina basketball: Cole Anthony is the next great Tar Heel

North Carolina basketball has had many great players come through Chapel Hill. Cole Anthony is the next great Tar Heel who will be an instant sensation.

North Carolina is one of the most historic college basketball programs of all-time. For one, the widely recognized greatest basketball player ever (Michael Jordan) was a graduate of the school. However, what has always been the lifeline of this school’s team has been their point guards.

Dating back to 1974 when Phil Ford came to Chapel Hill, there’s been a bunch of phenomenal lead guards to attend the university. Over the years, when the Tar Heels were at their best it was because they had a star player running the show. Kenny Smith, Jeff McInnis, Shammond Williams, Ed Cota, Raymond Felton, Ty Lawson, Kendall Marshall and Coby White have all led great teams in UNC history.

Their style of play has lent itself well to showcasing the abilities of their point guards. They are the team’s engines, if they don’t push the tempo then everything else they want to do falls flat on its face. In Chapel Hill, a lot is asked of the players who will have the ball in their hands the most.

Roy Williams was prepared for White to be a “One-and-Done” and he attacked the position in his recruiting efforts and ended up with a player who could quickly become one of the best to ever wear the Carolina blue. Cole Anthony, the son of former NBA player Greg Anthony, was rated as the best available point guard in the Class of 2019 and the Tar Heels were able to swoop in and snatch him away from other top programs.

Part of the reason North Carolina caught the attention of the No. 3 recruit was due to the success White had a season ago. Though they aren’t the same type of player, Anthony will have the keys to the car handed over to him similarly to how White did in his lone season.

White came in as more of a combo guard who was thought to be a score-first player. Anthony is much more of a point guard — thanks to having a father who’s done it at the highest levels of the game — and in his final season of high school, he nearly averaged a triple-double for Oak Hill (18 PPG, 9.8 RPG, and 9.5 APG). He’s got the size (listed at 6-foot-3) to play the position and he also is an elite athlete. The reason he nearly averaged double-digit rebounds is he is one of the first to get off the floor and he also jumps higher than most of his peers.

He’s no slouch as a scorer, he needs to become more consistent from the perimeter, and he could easily end the season as UNC’s leading scorer. He combines speed and strength that allows him to penetrate into the paint.

Yet, what will really help the Tar Heels is his ability to facilitate and make the game easier for his teammates. Sterling Manley — who averaged a blistering 7.9 PPG last year — is the team’s leading returning scorer. The rest of the roster consists of unproven upperclassmen, graduate transfers and a highly-touted recruiting class.

As a playmaker, getting the most out of your teammates is the most crucial part of measuring success. Anthony has shown to be a one-man wrecking crew on the open floor. Pair him with players who are on the same level as him and watch the dividends roll in.

The key will be whether he can be as effective as a leader as he is a prospect. North Carolina has seniors who will speak for the team and be the ones counted on to show everyone the Tar Heel way. However, teams more often than not take on the mentality of their best player, which will surely be Anthony. He doesn’t have to be the voice of the team or the person to inspire the rest of his teammates. He’ll just need to show he buys into what the coaches are dishing out and that his game revolves around doing what’s best for the team

If Anthony is able to play like the star he is there is less pressure on the rest of the players. Carolina has its sights set on competing for the ACC title and more this year. Anthony can be remembered among the greats to pass through Chapel Hill but it will be on him as his play will determine whether he meets expectations.

The difference is most of those names listed above had multiple years to grow and develop into the players we remember them as now. Most likely, he will be one-and-done so he will need to be pretty special and he has all the tools to make that a reality.

For more NCAA basketball news, analysis, opinion and features, check out more from the FanSided college basketball section to stay on top of the latest action.