UNC Basketball alumni in NBA: Cole Anthony to be sidelined a while

Point guard Cole Anthony was the lone UNC Basketball player to be selected in the 2020 NBA Draft after he spent just one season in Chapel Hill.

Anthony’s lone season in Chapel Hill could have gone better as he battled a knee injury and UNC had their struggles finishing below .500. But Anthony stuck with the program during the dark times and in the end he heard his name called in the first round just a few months ago.

The point guard was selected by the Orlando Magic and so far has put together a solid rookie season. He saw his playing time increase with the serious injury to Markelle Fultz earlier in the year and he took full advantage of that opportunity.

But now Anthony will have to wait a bit to continue to make his impact.

Anthony suffered a non-displaced fracture of his right first rib a week ago against the Portland Trailblazers and has missed the past three games. Now, he will have to a little longer as the Magic announced that Anthony will be out until at least the All-Star game:

Through 25 games, the guard was averaging 11 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game1as he was getting a feel for the flow of the NBA game. He was a key component to the Magic and really fit in well with that roster.

The hope is that Anthony can recover fast and return with that timetable around the All-Star game and won’t have to be out much longer than that.

For more on Anthony and other former UNC Basketball players in the NBA, please check back with Keeping It Heel.