UNC Basketball: Does Coby White have a NBA Draft Lottery promise?

Former UNC Basketball point guard Coby White left the NBA Draft combine early after reportedly receiving a promise in the Top 10

Point guard Coby White was one of three North Carolina Tar Heels that were invited to participate in the 2019 NBA Scouting Combine two weeks ago in Chicago and he may have left with a promise from some teams.

White is considered one of the top 3 point guard prospects in this upcoming 2019 NBA Draft and will likely hear his name called within the lottery picks. After a very impressive freshman season at North Carolina, White’s stock continued to climb as the games went on.

While the majority of prospects stayed at the combine in Chicago to test out and participate in scrimmages, White was one of the few that left after speaking to teams. White leaving early indicates that he could have a promise from a few teams to be selected in the Top 10.

Following Day 1 of the combine, White received a lot of praise from analysts, fellow players, and even scouts at the combine. The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry reported that White left early with that promise and expects to hear his name called anywhere form pick No. 5-9:

"Then there’s this. Asked on Wednesday what kind of feedback he’s getting from teams about his draft range, White said, “Right now, I just know the five-to-nine range.”“You dream about playing in the NBA your whole life, and playing in Chicago for the Bulls, it’ll be a happy moment for me,” White said. “Wherever I land, hopefully I’ll be able to make a major impact. I’m looking forward to it. The league is full of great point guards every night, so I’m looking forward to the challenge and testing myself.”"

As soon as the NBA Draft order was determined with the lottery, White started to be mocked in that range in several mock drafts. He’s a fit for a few teams that need a point guard including the Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Bulls and Suns appear to be the trendy mock pick for White with Phoenix picking at No. 6 and Chicago at No. 7.  That would fit right in with that 5-9 prediction mentioned in the article.

In one season at North Carolina, White averaged 16.1 points, 4.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 42 percent from the field and 35 percent from the three-point line while breaking Michael Jordan’s program record for most 30-plus point games for a freshman.

For more on White and other UNC Basketball players, please check back with Keeping It Heel.