Keeping It Heel
Fansided

UNC Basketball: Kerwin Walton to go through NBA Draft process

By Nick Delahanty

Mar 16, 2022; Fort Worth, TX, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Kerwin Walton (24) shoots during practice before the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at Dickies Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 16, 2022; Fort Worth, TX, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Kerwin Walton (24) shoots during practice before the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at Dickies Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

In rather shocking UNC basketball news, Kerwin Walton has decided to go through the NBA Draft process. Is his time in Chapel Hill coming to an end?

The UNC basketball program was expecting a big decision (G.G. Jackson’s commitment) to come on Wednesday, but the one that was announced early on in the day was a rather shocking one.

In an attempt to gain professional feedback on his game, sophomore Kerwin Walton has decided to enter the NBA Draft. By doing this, Walton will be able to gain feedback from executives around the league, as he looks to improve his overall game.

We’ve seen this happen before. Justin Jackson went through the NBA Draft process, and Armando Bacot did as well. It’s important to remember that Walton can still return to Chapel Hill, as he’ll have until June 1 to withdraw his name from the draft in order to maintain his eligibility.

After having a solid freshman season in which he showcased his three-point shooting ability, Walton struggled throughout his sophomore campaign. The Hopkins, Minnesota native went from being a starter who couldn’t be removed from the floor given his offensive talent to a player who had a hard time sneaking into his new coach’s rotation.

In 31 games played, Walton averaged 3.4 points on just 37.3 percent shooting from the floor. He saw a decrease in minutes (down from 21 to 13.3) and points (8.2 to 3.4) per contest.

As his goal seems to be playing at the next level, it makes a ton of sense for Walton to use this opportunity to gain some very valuable feedback. Once he goes through this process, Walton can decide whether to stay in the draft or to come back to college, where he can continue improving his craft.

At this point, we don’t know how the NBA Draft process will pan out for Kerwin Walton. However, there is still a chance that he will suit up in a UNC basketball uniform once again in the near future.

Next. UNC fans NEED these shirts!. dark

Follow us @KeepingItHeel on Twitter and like our fan page on Facebook for continued coverage of UNC basketball news, views, and recruiting updates.

Home/UNC Basketball