As we turn to the month of April, we sit just twenty days away from the scheduled NBA Draft deadline entry deadline. So far, the Tar Heels have yet to have a player announce that they are leaving early, but there are some major decisions looming that could have a major impact on the future of this Tar Heel basketball team, especially next season. Let’s take a look at those decisions and what we think should ultimately happen.
Cole Anthony Jeremy Woo (Sports Illustrated): No. 15 overall- Orlando Magic
NBADraft.net: No. 6 overall- New York Knicks
Rob Dauster (NBC Sports): No. 8 overall- Washington Wizards
Gary Parrish (CBS Sports): No. 6 overall- New York Knicks
NBADraftRoom: No. 15 overall- Orlando Magic
Tankathon: No. 10 overall- Phoenix Suns
Chris Stone (Sporting News): No. 9 overall- Washington Wizards
MyNBADraft.com: No. 11 overall- New Orleans Pelicans
David Kenyon (Bleacher Report): No. 4 overall- Atlanta Hawks
Sam Marsdale (247Sports): No. 6 overall- New York Knicks
SLAM: No. 6 overall- New York Knicks
Zach Hood (Fansided): No. 5 overall- Detroit Pistons
Mark Schanowski (Yahoo Sports): No. 9 overall- Washington Wizards
Anthony did not nearly have the season that he was hoping for, but there is a reason that he is still a lottery pick in all but two of the most recent mock drafts. While he will have some work to do with his ball handling and shooting, he has the offensive tools to have success at the NBA level. As he showed late in the season, he is a problem when he can get the dribble drive to the basket going, whether that is finishing at the basket or drawing a foul. The late season success was also due in large part to his ability to share the basketball, something that he needs to continue to do at the NBA level, a place where he might not be the best or only scoring option on the floor when he arrives. He rebounds the ball at a very high level, especially for a young point guard, as well. There is still some work cut out for Anthony, who must become a more efficient defender and iron out some offensive issues, but ultimately his potential is just too much for NBA GM’s to ignore. With the Tar Heels welcoming in another 5✮ point guard this offseason in Caleb Love and some solid depth in the backcourt, it’s probably best for both sides that Anthony enters the NBA Draft.
Armando Bacot
Jeremy Woo (Sports Illustrated): Undrafted
NBADraft.net: Undrafted
NBADraftRoom: Undrafted
Tankathon: Undrafted
Chris Stone (Sporting News): Undrafted
MyNBADraft.com: Undrafted
It may be a bit shocking, but as of right now, not a single draft board has Bacot listed as a prospect will be drafted. His biggest attribute right now is his upside, but it seems that his drop off in production late in the season, something that was likely due to an ankle injury that he fought through earlier in the year, and his struggles to consistently finish at the rim have really hurt his stock. Bacot showed signs this past season that he has the upside to be a very solid player if he can add a little more weight to his slim frame and become more aggressive at the rim on both ends of the floor. He’ll also need to get back to running the floor the way he did at the high school level, something that made him such an attractive prospect to the Tar Heels staff. Bacot definitely needs another year in this system.
Garrison Brooks
Jeremy Woo (Sports Illustrated): Undrafted
NBADraft.net: Undrafted
NBADraftRoom: Undrafted
Tankathon: Undrafted
Chris Stone (Sporting News): Undrafted
MyNBADraft.com: Undrafted
Despite a huge junior season, Brooks seems to have little to no draft stock at this point. Brooks developed into a more complete player this past season after his first two seasons on campus saw him have his struggles to make an impact offensively. This season, Brooks developed a strong back-to-the-basket game and a solid mid-range game, while also proving to be a much better rebounder than many thought. The problem is, Brooks still has a smaller frame and hasn’t quite developed the range that is needed to be a stretch forward. After a phenomenal season in 2019-20, Brooks should come back for his final season so he can continue to develop his offensive game and bulk up a little more to make a better run at the NBA Draft next year.