While recruiting rumors continue to swirl for Michael Malone and North Carolina, there's no question that there's still a ton of focus on guard Matt Able. He's testing the NBA Draft waters and he put on a show at the NBA Combine, which had people worried sick that he won't end up making the move to town after all.
Michael Malone reignites UNC's pursuit of an elite 2027 guard prospect
However, plenty of signs continue to point to him returning to the ACC next season after spending his true freshman year with NC State. The expectation is the only way Able would consider giving Malone some bad news here would be if he sneaks into the first round.
Thankfully, despite a strong Combine, that still feels like a bit of a long shot. In a new NBA Mock Draft from USA Today, Able is still on the outside looking in of the first round. With that, and if things stay consistent there, could we see him announce he's pulling his name out of things soon?
UNC remains hopeful that Matt Able will play for Michael Malone next season
That mock draft includes Caleb Wilson going No. 4 overall to the Chicago Bulls and Henri Veesaar also getting first-round love, with a prediction coming in for him to play for the Los Angeles Lakers. Again, though, Able is nowhere to be found on the list.
The fact of the matter here is that as much potential as Able has, him playing one more year of college hoops at a minimum is in his best interest. If he lives up to his potential and plays at a high level for Carolina next year, it's only going to boost his stock - he could easily land a first-round grade and possibly even work his way into the lottery conversation.
That's how good he can be. Coming out of high school, Able was a 5-star prospect and despite things not quite going to plan under Will Wade in 2025-26, he showed flashes of his greatness at times. And with him shooting pretty dang well during scrimmages at the Combine, it opened plenty of eyes of how good he can be.
There are still some moving pieces for the Tar Heels for next campaign's roster, as the priority remains in adding center help. However, no one has forgotten about Able and how important he's going to be for Malone's debut season in Chapel Hill. For now, fans can keep feeling confident that he'll be relying on Able, as the hope is his final decision will be rolling in soon.
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