Two Tar Heels projected as 2025 NBA lottery picks; multiple players projected to be drafted

By R.L. Bynum

Harrison Ingram was the only North Carolina player picked in this week’s NBA draft, but some way-to-early 2025 mock drafts suggest that multiple Tar Heels will hear their names at next June’s draft.

Two freshman guards, 6–5, 185-pound Ian Jackson (top photo) and 6–6, 195-pound Drake Powell, are projected as lottery picks by one media outlet. In Yahoo’s mock draft, Jackson is at No. 9, and ESPN projects Powell at No. 11.

CBS Sports projects 6–1, 180-pound sophomore point guard Elliot Cadeau as the 17th pick and ESPN has him 47th. He didn’t make the projections of Yahoo! and USA Today, which only included the first round.

Junior transfer Cade Tyson, a 6–7, 205-pound forward, only made the Yahoo! projection, which has him going No. 22.

USA Today projects Jackson at No. 15, ESPN at No. 25, and CBS has him at 28. USA Today has Powell at 18, CBS at 28, and he didn’t make the first-round projection by Yahoo!

There is consensus that Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, a 6–9, 205-pound forward, will be the No. 1 pick.

On Thursday, the San Antonio Spurs picked Ingram as the 48th overall pick in the second round, and the Utah Jazz signed fifth-year center Armando Bacot to an Exhibit 10 contract. On Friday, fifth-year guard Cormac Ryan signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Thunder. Under Exhibit 10 contracts, a player has a one-year minimum salary contract that can be converted to a two-way deal.


Tar Heels in 2025 mock drafts

ESPN
Drake Powell No. 11
Ian Jackson No. 25
Elliot Cadeau No. 47
CBS Sports (only first round)
Elliot Cadeau No. 17
Ian Jackson No. 28
USA Today (only first round)
Ian Jackson No. 15
Drake Powell No. 18
Yahoo! (only first round)
Ian Jackson No. 9
Cade Tyson No. 22

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. ETSU10–1
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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