ESPN’s first look at the 2027 NBA Draft gives North Carolina a pretty loud vote of confidence.
Jeremy Woo’s mock has three Tar Heels in the mix, with Matt Able projected at No. 16, Sayon Keita at No. 25 and Neo Avdalas at No.
- That would give UNC two first-rounders and a second-round pick - and, if it actually played out that way, back-to-back years with multiple NBA Draft selections for the first time since 2019.
That alone makes the projection stand out. The 2026 NBA Draft already snapped a long drought for the program when Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar became North Carolina’s first multiple draftees in a single year since that 2019 class. Now ESPN’s early 2027 board suggests the Tar Heels could be building toward something even bigger.
Of course, this is still just June. These are projections, not certainties, and plenty will change before next June. But the names Woo put on the board line up neatly with the kind of roster UNC has assembled.
Able’s place in the first round doesn’t come out of nowhere. He tested the NBA Draft waters this spring before pulling back, and he’s expected to be one of North Carolina’s main offensive pieces.
His ability to score from all three levels, shoot the ball and guard multiple positions gives him the kind of two-way profile NBA teams love. If he has the season people around the program are expecting, staying in the first-round conversation should be very much in play.
Avdalas brings a different kind of intrigue. The wing arrives in Chapel Hill with professional experience overseas and the sort of size that makes scouts pay attention. If his sophomore season shows more consistency and a smoother adjustment to the American game, his playmaking and versatility could make him one of the more interesting draft names on the roster.
Keita may be the most eye-catching of the three. The freshman center has already drawn NBA buzz because of his physical tools, and seeing him slotted inside the first round says a lot about his upside.
If he becomes the anchor of UNC’s frontcourt right away, that would suggest the Tar Heels have found the kind of interior force they’ve been chasing. That would raise both the team’s ceiling and his own draft stock at the same time.
The backcourt picture matters too. Able and Avdalas already give North Carolina a strong starting point, and Terrence Brown adds another layer to what could be one of the deepest perimeter groups in the country. If that group clicks on offense and Keita turns into a force inside, the Tar Heels could end up with one of the most balanced starting lineups in the nation.
There’s a long road between now and draft night. Injuries, breakout seasons and all the usual twists of a college year will reshape the picture. But if Woo’s early read comes anywhere close to reality, North Carolina may be headed for another spring where multiple players hear their names called - and for a stretch where that starts to feel less like a surprise and more like the standard again.
In Other News...
Former Tar Heel Henri Veesaar Finally Faced His Draft Night Reality
Henri Veesaars draft night did not unfold the way most of the chatter around him had pointed for months. The former Tar Heel entered the process with first-round expectations, but a crowded class and a less convincing showing at the scouting combine pushed him into a far less comfortable spot, turning what had looked like a clean rise into a night of waiting and recalculating.
When the Hawks finally came in during the second round, Veesaar got his answer and soon enough was talking through how he fits in Atlanta. For North Carolina, it was a reminder of how quickly draft boards can shift, and how a players value can be shaped as much by timing and pre-draft workouts as by what he did in college. [Read more 🡒]
UNCs No. 26 Could Change The Offense Where It Hurt Most
North Carolina has spent the offseason trying to rebuild the parts of its roster that let it down a year ago, and the tight end room has become one of the more interesting places to watch. Bill Belichicks first team in Chapel Hill is under real pressure to show progress, so the additions through recruiting and the transfer portal matter more than ever, especially when they give the offense a different kind of target in the middle of the field.
The latest arrival brings the kind of size and profile that can change how a defense has to line up, and he came to UNC with plenty of attention after drawing interest around the portal. What makes him even more important is the uncertainty at quarterback, with the Tar Heels still sorting out who will take the first snaps in the fall. If that battle leans toward a younger option, a reliable tight end could become the kind of security blanket that helps this offense find answers in the red zone, where it needs them most. [Read more 🡒]
Two Former Tar Heels Are Bringing Chapel Hill With Them to the NBA
Two former Tar Heels are keeping a little piece of Chapel Hill with them as they head into the NBA. Caleb Wilson, the fourth overall pick, will wear No. 8 with the Chicago Bulls, the same number he wore at North Carolina, while Henri Veesaar is taking No. 13 into his pro career after being picked by the Los Angeles Clippers and then traded to the Atlanta Hawks.
For Carolina fans, it is a small but familiar detail that makes the transition feel a little less distant. Wilsons lone season in Chapel Hill ended early because of injury, but the number on his back will still look the part when he steps on an NBA floor. Veesaar, meanwhile, is continuing the number he carried through both Arizona and North Carolina, another reminder that even as the roster turns over, some Tar Heel connections travel well beyond college. [Read more 🡒]