UNC Basketball: Early 2022 NBA Mock Draft features no Tar Heels

In their early 2022 NBA mock draft, SB Nation doesn’t have any UNC basketball players among their top 30 prospects.

Now that the 2021 NBA Draft has officially passed, it’s never too early to start taking a look at the 2022 draft class!

Annually, SB Nation releases their big board for the upcoming draft class the day after the current year’s draft is complete. As promised, Ricky O’Donnell put together his big board, one that did not feature any current UNC basketball players on it.

Should we be surprised that no Tar Heels are on O’Donnell’s initial rankings? Based on recent history, it shouldn’t be that big of a surprise.

Last year, Caleb Love was the only Tar Heel featured on the early big board, as the then-incoming freshman was ranked No. 17 on the list. After a bit of an up-and-down season, Love decided it was in his best interest to return to Chapel Hill for his sophomore campaign.

Heading into his second collegiate season, Love, along with his Tar Heel teammates, have a lot to prove. Under new head coach Hubert Davis, the new-look roster will have the opportunity to show that the North Carolina men’s basketball program is still a major force to be reckoned with.

Looking at the current roster, what players have a chance to jump up the NBA mock draft rankings?

For starters, Love, who was a five-star recruit and very highly though of coming out of high school, could be at the top of the list. If he is able to improve his shooting numbers, as well as effectively operate the Tar Heels’ offensive attack, Love will quickly jump back onto the radar of NBA scouts across the league.

Other than Love, the other two players you could make the case for are Armando Bacot and Dawson Garcia.

Bacot, who is entering his junior season, tested the NBA Draft waters prior to making the decision to return to Chapel Hill. The Tar Heel big man doesn’t necessarily fit the style of play that the current NBA game is moving toward, but with a monster junior season, he could be a player that teams would take a late flyer on.

Garcia, who recently transferred to North Carolina from Marquette, also went through the NBA draft process to receive feedback from league executives. The big man decided to return to college, but utilized the new transfer rule to make the transition to Chapel Hill. As he should play a major role on this year’s UNC squad, Garcia could receive a lot of exposure that could put him on the map for NBA teams.

Of course, it’s possible that other players on the roster could make their case to be potential NBA draft prospects. However, if you’re looking at players who most likely will be on NBA teams’ radars, the aforementioned trio would be your most likely bet.

We have plenty of time before next year’s NBA Draft, so expect projections and mock drafts to change numerous times before we get to that point. However, it will be interesting to see if any UNC basketball players can rise up the draft boards in hopes of continuing their basketball careers in the NBA.

Continue to follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news and updates regarding the UNC basketball program.