The North Carolina Tar Heels won the 2017 National Championship, but now who’s leaving to enter the 2017 NBA Draft?
One year after suffering the ultimate stomach-punch in the title game, the North Carolina Tar Heels found redemption. Facing off with the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the 2017 National Championship, the Tar Heels showed their grit and experience down the stretch. It was an ugly game marred by bad officiating on both ends. But with clutch plays down the stretch, North Carolina was able to pull through. Now, they’re National Champions.
Many of the players from last year’s runner-up team returned to North Carolina this season in hopes of doing what they were ultimately able to. But now that they’ve reached the mountaintop, the question remains if that will be the same thing. More simply, who from this Tar Heels team will head to the 2017 NBA Draft.
The most obvious departure is junior forward Justin Jackson. He’s long been eyed as an NBA prospect, but he firmly established himself as such this season. Now, he’s projected to be a late-lottery pick, but will most definitely be off the board in the first round.
After Jackson, there are also a pair of seniors leaving North Carolina simply because they’re out of eligibility that might try to stick in the NBA. Big men Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks don’t have the same stock as Jackson, but they’ll certainly try to prove themselves and get selected in the NBA Draft. Even if they don’t, both will surely still pursue some sort of professional career.
Next: North Carolina wins 2017 National Championship: Highlights
The biggest question mark after the title, though, is point guard Joel Berry II. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four and rightfully so. However, he’s also only a junior and could return for one more year. He’s not projected as a first-round pick currently, but he could still conceivably enter the 2017 NBA Draft. This is all speculation, but I see him returning to try and raise his draft stock further.