UNC Basketball: Pair of Tar Heel freshmen projected as top-20 NBA picks

A pair of freshman UNC basketball players are projected top-20 NBA draft picks

Sports Illustrated released a new 2020 NBA mock draft this week, and a pair of incoming freshman from the University of North Carolina made the list.

Caleb Love and Day’Ron Sharpe, two 5-star prospects from the class of 2020, headline the Tar Heels’ No. 2-ranked recruiting class, and there are big expectations for them in Chapel Hill this season. Love will take over the lead guard responsibilities now that star freshman and leading scorer Cole Anthony is gone, while Sharpe will join a loaded front court that boasts three 5-star players and the likely pick for preseason ACC Player of the Year.

Not only are there lofty expectations for the dynamic duo in college this season, there’s also a belief that both could get selected in the top-20 of the 2021 NBA Draft. SI’s Jeremy Woo talked about that in a recent piece, where he pegged Love as the projected 13th pick, and Sharpe at No. 18.

"Love continues to make big strides as a lead guard and has the requisite size, vision and end-to-end speed to excel in that role in the pros,” Woo writes. “He faces a bit of a tall task coming in to lead a North Carolina team likely to feature multiple bigs, where spacing might become an issue. But he’s a gifted transition player and clean shooter who simply needs to keep refining his decision-making skills to prove he can play the point long-term. Improving his handle to better change gears off the dribble is key to maximizing his above-average tools. But he’s big, fast and competes hard, and he has made strides in terms of processing what’s in front of him. Love projects as one of the more intriguing long-term backcourt players in this class, and he’ll have a big platform to make the leap into the lottery with consistent play. How he stacks up with recent North Carolina point guards remains to be seen."

The 6-foot-3, 170-pound Love is a gifted scorer and facilitator. He can adequately man either guard position — something that’s extremely attractive to a UNC program that was short-handed in the back court all last season. And while he’s still a score-first point guard, he’s rounding into a solid passer that can set his teammates up in good position to get buckets. He’s capable of playing in the half court, or leading the Tar Heels’ fast-paced, run-and-gun offense.

"“One of the most consistently productive bigs in high school basketball, Sharpe is a good athlete for his size with terrific hands and feet who gobbles up rebounds and has a gift for crashing the glass. He has legit size and a broad frame that projects well at center, with a sliver of hope as a jump shooter and strong passing skills that bode well for his ability to succeed long-term. With all true centers, the question has become to what end, and Sharpe will need to keep developing his skill level in the paint to take advantage of the occasional mismatch and play up to his size. How North Carolina distributes minutes among its bigs, with Sharpe, fellow freshman Walker Kessler and returners Garrison Brooks and Armando Bacot could become a tricky task. But the smart money is on Sharpe breaking through early, which should lead to a brief stint in college.”"

Sharpe is a 6-foot-10, 246-pound center that looks to come in and make a difference in year one at North Carolina. Along with his great size, he’s got terrific hands and a tremendous motor. He’s a good athlete, and runs the floor extremely well. His ability to rebound the ball will be his best asset for the Tar Heels, at least when he first arrives on campus. His offensive game could use some additional refining, but his current game should fit in well as it stands.

Whether or not either of the two players leave college after one season is yet to be seen, but they’ve obviously got the kind of upside that NBA scouts and general managers like to see in high draft picks. Tar Heel fans, of course, will be hoping that both remain in Chapel Hill for the foreseeable future.

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