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.
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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
Roster assuming all players with eligibility other than Caleb Wilson and Isaiah Denis return, and the players in the incoming freshman class hold in their commitment, which would put UNC at the 15-player limit. The class for next season is listed.
| No./ Stars | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Freshman | Dylan Mingo | CG | 6–5 | 190 |
| 5 | Freshman | Maximo Adams | SF | 6–7 | 205 |
| 4 | Freshman | Malloy Smith | CG | 6–5 | 190 |
| 3 | Sophomore | Derek Dixon | CG | 6–5 | 200 |
| 40 | Junior | Ivan Matlekovic | 5 | 7–0 | 255 |
| 11 | Junior | Jonathan Powell | G | 6–6 | 190 |
| 2 | Junior | James Brown | 5 | 6–10 | 240 |
| 1 | Junior | Zayden High | 4 | 6–10 | 230 |
| 44 | Senior | Luca Bogavac | W | 6–6 | 215 |
| 4 | Senior | Jaydon Young | 2 | 6–4 | 200 |
| 13 | RS senior | Henri Veesaar | 5 | 7–0 | 225 |
| 0 | Senior | Kyan Evans | PG | 6–2 | 175 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson | 4 | 6–10 | 215 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 25 | Junior | John Holbrook | 4 | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | 2 | 6–1 | 195 |
Entering transfer portal
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isaiah Dennis | Sophomore | G | 6–4 | 180 |
Photo via @UNC_Basketball
