Q & A: Tar Heels' NBA prospects

Now that the North Carolina Tar Heels have completed their charmed season and earned their fifth national title, the next natural question to arise is...what's next?

The 2009 Tar Heels roster is stocked with more NBA talent than perhaps any other team in the country, and its three best players are upperclassmen. Having won a national championship, the likelihood of these players declaring for the NBA draft is very high, since their "stock" is currently at its peak.

Juniors Wayne Ellington (2009 NCAA Tournament MVP), Tywon Lawson (2009 ACC Player of the Year), and senior Tyler Hansbrough (2008 National Player of the Year) are all sure-fire bets to declare for the draft. Additionally, junior Danny Green and freshman Ed Davis have the potential to declare for the draft, too. Many analysts have said Davis, although raw, might have the most natural talent and athleticism of any of the bunch.


Photo courtesy of ESPN.com

To analyze the where each of these players will be selected, and to forecast which will be busts and which are destined for NBA greatness, we've brought in our resident college basketball expert, the Basketball Guru.

Q: Tyler Hansbrough has accomplished everything one possibly can imagine at the collegiate level, both individually and on a team level, having won both Player of the Year and a national championship. Still, however, there are doubts about the 6-foot-9 forward's ability to transition to the NBA. Why?

A: Hansbrough's natural athleticism has never "wow-ed" NBA scouts. He doesn't jump well, and he's probably only 6'9" on his tip-toes. Without those attributes, scouts wonder whether grit and guile will be enough for Hansbrough at the next level.



Q: Which of UNC's "Big Three" will go first?

A: Despite Wayne Ellington's fantastic tournament performance and where he's being projected in mock drafts, I say Tywon Lawson. Lawson's speed makes him an instant game-changer, and now that he's developed a more consistent jump shot, the only knock on the 5-foot-11 guard is his size. But Chris Paul is only listed at 6-feet, and look at the success he's had in the NBA. Though Lawson won't be Paul-quality, he will be a successful pro, and might make an All-Star game or two before he's done.

Q: Who would you compare Wayne Ellington to, and who goes first, Ellington or his high school teammate, Duke forward Gerald Henderson?


Photo courtesy of TheHoopsReport.com

A: Henderson may be bigger than Ellington and might have a better all-around game, but he's a little less polished and isn't nearly as good of a pure scorer. Ellington's jump shot is picture-perfect, and he will make a great off-guard for any team looking for offense. I say Ellington goes first, but they both go in the 10-15 range. If I were to draw an NBA comparison to Ellington, fellow Tar Heel Rashad McCants might not be a bad one. Ellington will be as good as McCants, at worst, and could be a potential Ray Allen-type guard.

Q: What team has the potential to be next year's North Carolina?

A: Kansas has a wealth of young talent, including Cole Aldrich and Sharron Collins, and could easily contend for a national title in 2010. Both could end up going in the top 10 of the 2010 NBA draft, too.


Photo courtesy of New.KentuckySportsRadio.com