Accessing the Draft Stock of Tar Heel Pro Hopefuls

The 2014 campaign has come to an end for the North Carolina Tar Heels on the football field, but on the basketball court things are just beginning to heat up, especially with conference play on the horizon. With that being said, I thought this would be a good time to chime in with my two cents about the pro potential of a handful of Heels on the hardwood as well as a few from the gridiron.

Basketball

When it comes to the 2015 NBA Draft, I don’t expect many Carolina players having their names called.In fact, there’s a good chance that no Tar Heel will be drafted come next summer. Don’t get me wrong, UNC has four or five players on this squad who will play in the league but I don’t foresee any of those guys leaving school as of now.

Freshman forward Justin Jackson has the most upside on the team, but he has to become more aggressive on the offensive end and he also has to become more consistent with his jump shot. I do think Jackson will be a first round pick, just not in 2015. I expect this young man to hang around Chapel Hill for a couple of years and then go pro.

Junior forward Brice Johnson has everything you look for in an NBA power forward. He’s long, athletic with a solid post game and decent range but his great makeup and skill set doesn’t always translate to production on the court. Brice has big time talent but his effort can be lackluster at times and that ultimately holds him back. If he left after this season Johnson would probably be a second round pick, but with another year of seasoning and maturity Brice could easily become a first rounder.

Guard/Forward J.P. Tokoto is one most athletic hoopers in the world, college or pro. To go with his world-class athleticism, J.P. is also a great defender and a really good passer. The part of his game that keeps him on the outside of mock drafts is his shooting. I don’t think the junior will ever become a great outside shooter but if he can become an OK jump shooter, this young man will be on an NBA roster for a long time. That will likely start after next season, because it would be a major surprise if J.P. left early.

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Theo Pinson is still very raw, however, in a couple of years, this guy should be a big time pro prospect. The freshman guard is a great athlete who can defend and attack the basket but just like Tokoto, his jump shot needs some work. Theo’s outside shooting is better than J.P.’s but it’s still below average. More playing time and an off-season or two of hard work should help improve Pinson’s range and if that happens this kid has a chance to be something special at Carolina and at the next level.

Marcus Paige, Kennedy Meeks and Joel James all have outside shots of playing in the NBA if you ask me. Of the trio I like Joel James the most believe it or not. The junior center is 6’10 28o lbs, he exhibits solid footwork and has decent range and when he fully learns how to play the game, Joel could become an asset to an NBA team.

Football

Just like the Tar Heels on the b-ball court, it will likely be a light year for draftees from the football team. Most years the Carolina football program has several pro prospect but this year that’s just not the case. I think that bandit Norkeithus Otis is easily the top NFL prospect as far as the senior’s go. Otis had a sub par senior campaign only getting four sacks but in a league where there are never too many pass rushers, some team will probably give him a shot in the mid to late rounds.

Defensive tackle Ethan Farmer also has a chance to hear his name called during second half of the draft. Farmer had a good senior season and his ability to get after the quarterback should get him a call on the second of third day of the draft. Other than that I’m hard pressed to find any other Tar Heels who will be drafted. Some other player will likely come out the woodwork and climb up some teams draft boards or even make NFL squads as undrafted free agents, but I’m just not sure who that could be.

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