All-time All-ACC NBA Mock Draft
By Ynal Al-Ouri
Sam Perkins had a solid four years at the University of North Carolina. He averaged 15.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and .09 steals per game over the course of his college career. He helped UNC win a NCAA title, and was named a consensus All-American three times. Perkins also had exceptional size for his position, as he stood at 6-foot-9, which allowed him to be able to play both forward positions, and occasionally at center. Perkins’ height and length were an integral part of his game, as he excelled at garnering second chance points by reaching over and grabbing boards off of misses. He also had a solid mid-range jumper for his size, which was not as common to see from a big man during his playing days. Although athleticism wasn’t his strong suit, he managed to get by on defense with his great wingspan and impeccable timing to jump for rebounds and block shots.
Perkins isn’t much higher on this list because he was essentially a finished product when he ended his career as a Tar Heel. Not to say that there was anything wrong with that, but teams crave upside when they are scouting prospects. You knew you were going to get some solid scoring and rebounding, and some good defensive plays where he alters shots. Perkins also wasn’t much of a threat from the 3-point line, which is a huge boon for players of his height these days. He eventually developed a knack for outside shooting later on in his NBA career, but it was almost non-existent coming out of college. Perkins being ranked 30th on this list is a testament to how loaded this mock draft would’ve been.