UNC Basketball: Latest mock draft and where Tar Heels prospects land

We take a look at the draft stock of some UNC Basketball players ahead of the 2019 NBA Draft with a new mock

With the 2018-19 college basketball season in the books, there are still some big storylines to follow as we await the next season that begins in the Fall.  There are big recruiting decisions that will impact programs, transfer announcements and possibly some reclassifications.

There is also NBA Draft news.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are losing five of their key players in the rotation including four starters from a team that reached the Sweet 16 last season. Luke Maye, Kenny Williams and Cam Johnson are graduating while Nassir Little and Coby White have both declared for the NBA Draft after just one season in Chapel Hill.

UNC has three legit NBA prospects as it stands, with Little, White and Johnson all projected to be drafted in June. Maye could be drafted but we do expect him to end up on a roster for at least Summer League play.

With the NBA Draft about two months away, Draft Express released their updated mock draft on ESPN predicting where they think players will land in June. The NBA Draft Lottery still has to take place, so things could change but this should give us a feel of where UNC players will go.

According to the mock draft, they have three players going in the first round.

Point guard Coby White is the highest mocked player going No. 10 overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves, followed by Nassir Little at No. 16 to Brooklyn as he barely stays in the lottery and finally Cam Johnson at No. 21 to Oklahoma City.

Now this will certainly change with the lottery, draft combine and private workouts but it’s a good sign to see three UNC players mocked in the first round.

It’s almost a certainty that White will be the first player taken from UNC in this draft and some analysts have him even inside the Top 10. For Little, his stock has been all over the place during his freshman season. He was once mocked No. 2 overall but his started to fall.

Johnson is benefitting from putting together an impressive final season at UNC and showing off his shooting skills. After shooting nearly 50 percent from the field, Johnson will likely find himself as a first-round pick.

We will continue to monitor the mock drafts and the stock of UNC players as we get closer and closer to the 2019 NBA Draft.

For more the UNC Basketball program, please check back with Keeping It Heel.