Only six UNC basketball alums boast guaranteed contracts for the 2024-25 NBA season. But one of them sits among the top 100 talents in the league, per HoopsHype’s recently released preseason player rankings, and one could argue that a few more are knocking on the door of that distinction.
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The Tar Heel who made the cut for HoopsHype’s list of the top 100 is 2018-19 UNC basketball one-and-done Coby White. He appears at No. 70 overall.
White finished second in votes for the NBA Most Improved Player Award. The 24-year-old North Carolina native averaged 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while shooting 44.7 percent from the field, 37.6 percent beyond the arc, and 83.8 percent at the charity stripe across his 79 regular season outings.
Here’s what HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina and Raul Barrigon noted about White’s standing:
“There were some questions about Chicago Bulls guard Coby White’s ceiling in the NBA and whether or not he had reached it already…With so much quickness, off-the-dribble scoring prowess and such solid rebounding and playmaking, we think White will — at the very least — be able to hover around the production he posted last season, which would be huge in comparison to the slow start he got off to in his career.”
Three other former UNC basketball players averaged double-digit points last season. Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson posted 13.4 per game. Veteran forward Harrison Barnes, who is entering his first season with the San Antonio Spurs, recorded 12.2 per outing for the 2023-24 Sacramento Kings. And Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony put up 11.6 per contest off the bench.
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