Ingram ‘all in’ for NBA draft, says return to UNC unlikely

By R.L. Bynum

Harrison Ingram says he’s “all in” on the NBA draft.

Ingram, who scored 14 points on 4 of 7 shooting with three 3-pointers, four rebounds and three steals in 20 minutes of a scrimmage in Chicago on Tuesday at the NBA Combine, suggested that there is only one reason he’s left open the possibility of returning to Carolina.

“Obviously it’s open,” Ingram said during a media session on Tuesday. “That’s more just so if I get injured — knock on wood — or something like that. There’s no reason to close it. My parents always told me never make decisions at the last moment, so I’m trying to be smart and keep it open.”

Ingram said that he told the Carolina coaching staff of his intentions to stay in the draft before anybody else knew.

“I told him from the start my plan is to stay in the draft,” Ingram said. “My plan is to go. I didn’t really want them to be held back by my decision and not going to recruit everybody.

“Obviously, they didn’t need my permission,” Ingram said, “but like I was like, ‘you recruit whoever you want, go do whatever you want. If I do end up, for some reason, coming back, I’m fine fighting for my position.’ I know they have a job to do.”

NBA officials measured Ingram’s hand as nine inches in length and 10.25 inches in width. He was 6 feet, 5.25 inches tall, with a standing reach of 8–6½, weighed 233.6 pounds, and had a wingspan of 7–0.25.

On nbadraft.net, Ingram is projected to be picked in the second round as the 48th overall pick to the San Antonio Spurs.

No Carolina player has been drafted since the Phoenix Suns took Day’Ron Sharpe as the 29th overall pick in the first round of the 2021 draft. The Suns traded his draft rights to the Brooklyn Nets that August.

Ingram averaged 12.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game at UNC, shooting 43.0% and making 38.5% of his 3-point attempts, all career-highs. He scored a season-high 22 points in the March 2 home win over N.C. State.

He had 11 double-doubles after notching only five in his two seasons at Stanford, and scored four or more 3-pointers five times after never doing that as a Cardinal.


No.ClassPlayerPos.HgtWgt
8FreshmanCaleb Wilson (5 star)46–10215
5FreshmanIsaiah Denis (4 star)CG6–4180
3FreshmanDerek Dixon (4 star)CG6–5200
40SophomoreIvan Matlekovic57–0255
11SophomoreJonathan PowellG6–6190
2SophomoreJames Brown 56–10240
1SophomoreZayden High46–10230
44JuniorLuca Bogavac
(BO-guh-VAHTS)
W6–6215
4JuniorJaydon Young26–4200
13RS juniorHenri Veesaar
(VEH-sar)
57–0225
0JuniorKyan Evans16–2175
15JuniorJarin Stevenson46–10215
7SeniorSeth Trimble26–3200
Walk-ons
25SophomoreJohn Holbrook46–8230
32JuniorEvan Smith26–1195
6RS seniorElijah Davis26–3205

Former UNC players who transferred

PlayerClass next seasonPos.HgtWgtNext school
Elliot CadeauJuniorPG6–1180Michigan
Jalen WashingtonSeniorC6–10235Vanderbilt
Ian JacksonSophomoreG6–4190St. John’s
Cade TysonSeniorF6–7200Minnesota
Ven-Allen LubinSeniorC6–8230N.C. State

DateMonth/dayTimeOpponent/event
(current ranks)
TV/
record
October
24FridayL, 78–76vs. No. 10 BYU in SLCExhib.
29WednesdayW, 95–53vs. Winston-Salem St.Exhib.
November
3MondayW, 94–54vs. Central Arkansas1–0
7FridayW, 87–74vs. No. 17 Kansas2–0
11TuesdayW, 89–74vs. Radford3–0
14FridayW, 97–53vs. N.C. Central4–0
18TuesdayW, 73–61vs. Navy5–0
Fort Myers Tip-Off
25TuesdayW, 85–70vs. St. Bonaventure6–0
27ThursdayL, 74–58vs. No. 9 Michigan State6–1
DecemberACC/SEC
Men’s Challenge
2TuesdayW, 67–64at Kentucky7–1
—————————
7SundayW, 81–61vs. Georgetown8–1
13SaturdayW, 80–62vs. USC Upstate9–1
16TuesdayW, 77–58vs. East Tennessee
State
10–1
CBS Sports Classic
in Atlanta
20Saturday3 p.m.vs. Ohio StateCBS
—————————
22Monday8 p.m.vs. East CarolinaACCN
30Tuesday7 p.m.vs. Florida StateESPN2
January
3Saturday2:15at SMUThe CW
10Saturday6 p.m.vs. Wake ForestACCN
14Wednesday9 p.m.at StanfordACCN
17Saturday4 p.m.at CaliforniaACCN
21Wednesday7 p.m.vs. Notre DameESPN2
24Saturday2 or 2:30at No. 23 VirginiaESPN or
ESPNU
31Saturday2 p.m.at Georgia TechACCN
February
2Monday7 p.m.vs. SyracuseESPN
7Saturday6:30vs. No. 3 DukeESPN
10Tuesday7 p.m.at MiamiESPN or
ESPN2
14Saturday2 p.m.vs. PittsburghESPN
17Tuesday7 p.m.at N.C. StateESPN or
ESPN2
21Saturday1 p.m.at SyracuseABC
23Monday7 p.m.vs. No. 11 LouisvilleESPN
28Saturday6:30 or 8:30vs. Virginia TechESPN or
ESPN2
March
3Tuesday7 p.m.vs. ClemsonESPN or
ESPN2
7Saturday6:30at No. 3 DukeESPN
10–14Tues.-Sat.ACC
tournament
Spectrum Center,
Charlotte

Photo via @UNC_Basketball

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