10 biggest North Carolina basketball NBA Draft busts of all time
By Joey Loose
North Carolina basketball NBA Draft bust No. 8: Brice Johnson (2016: Round 1 Pick 25)
A 4-star recruit from South Carolina, Brice Johnson was a 6’9 forward who played four years under Roy Williams in the 2010s. He was a bench piece his first two seasons, though he averaged double figures as a sophomore.
He really developed into a star late in his college career, averaging 17.0 points and 10.4 rebounds per game as a senior. That season saw him named a First Team All-American. He also averaged just under 20 points a game in leading the Tar Heels to the national championship game in 2016.
Despite his role on a championship-level squad, Johnson wasn’t taken until the 25th pick by the Los Angeles Clippers. That somewhat low selection is why Johnson isn’t higher on today’s list because his NBA career was a complete afterthought. He scored just 47 points in 21 games across two seasons in the NBA, playing for both the Clippers and briefly the Memphis Grizzlies without making any type of impact off the bench.
A late first round is not a lost pick, as All-Stars Pascal Siakam and Dejounte Murray were both taken less than five picks later than Johnson in that draft. Simply put, Johnson dealt with injuries and inconsistent play when he got brief chances to show himself on the NBA stage.
He’s continued his basketball career overseas for the last four seasons, and the former South Carolina Mr. Basketball continues to show his talents. He just wasn’t meant to star in the NBA, rough luck after how close he and that 2016 team came to cutting down the nets against Villanova.