OZARKSFIRST

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) Pete Nance doesn't have to wonder what a successful season could look like for him at North Carolina. He saw it illustrated perfectly in the spring.

The Northwestern transfer watched the Tar Heels blend an outside-shooting big man in transfer Brady Manek so well that the Tar Heels made an unexpected push to the NCAA championship game. That has the 6-foot-10 graduate - who led the Wildcats in scoring, rebounding and 3-point percentage last year - eager to slide right in alongside four returning starters for a team with national-title aspirations.

"A lot of the time, it's a mystery as to what you're stepping into," Nance said Monday. "But as far as seeing what Brady did and the hole he left, I think it's kind of an easy thing to see - that someone needs to step into that."