June 25, 2009
University of North Carolina Pre-NBA Draft Notes
June 25, 2009
These notes and numbers are prior to tonight's NBA Draft (we will send an
update after the Draft)
The University of North Carolina leads all Atlantic Coast Conference
schools with 92 players drafted by NBA teams.
UNC also leads all ACC schools with 36 first round picks.
Not including the seven Carolina players who were first-round picks within
the last eight years (Brendan Haywood through Brandan Wright) --- 21 of the
previous 26 Tar Heels who were selected in the first round played at least
10 years in the NBA. And the other five players played at least six years in
the NBA.
The average length of NBA career for the 26 Tar Heels selected in the
first round from 1965 to 1998 is 11.3 years. That includes four players who
are still active in the NBA (Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace, who
recently completed their 14th season; and Antawn Jamison and Vince Carter,
who just completed their 11th).
Six of the seven Tar Heels selected in the first round since 2001 are
still active. Brendan Haywood has played eight years with the Wizards,
Marvin Williams, Raymond Felton, Sean May and Rashad McCants have each
played four years and Brandan Wright has played two.
Seventeen (17) of the last 22 Tar Heels selected in the NBA Draft were
selected in the first round (from 1989-2007).
Carolina has had 16 first-round picks in the last 18 years.
The most recent Tar Heel senior to be selected in the first round was
Brendan Haywood, who went #20 to the Washington Wizards in 2001.
There have been 16 players who played for head coach Roy Williams selected
in the first round of the NBA Draft. That includes 11 former Kansas Jayhawks
and five former Tar Heels. Kansas players include Mark Randall (1991), Rex
Walters (1993), Greg Ostertag (1995), Scot Pollard (1997), Jacque Vaughn
(1997), Raef LaFrentz (1998), Paul Pierce (1998), Drew Gooden (2002), Kirk
Hinrich (2003), Nick Collison (2003) and Wayne Simien (2005). North Carolina
players include Marvin Williams (2005), Raymond Felton (2005), Sean May
(2005), Rashad McCants (2005) and Brandan Wright (2007).
Carolina has had 25 players selected in the first round of the NBA Draft
since 1980, more than any other school in the country (Duke is second with
21, followed by Kentucky with 16, Arizona with 15, Connecticut and Michigan
with 14).
There have been 25 previous NBA Drafts in which more than one Tar Heel was
selected, including eight in which more than one Tar Heel was chosen in the
first round.
First Rounds with Multiple Tar Heels Selected
1977: Walter Davis (5, Phoenix); Tommy LaGarde (9, Denver)
1984: Michael Jordan (3, Chicago); Sam Perkins (4, Dallas)
1987: Kenny Smith (6, Sacramento); Joe Wolf (13, LA Clippers)
1991: Rick Fox (24, Boston); Pete Chilcutt (25, Sacramento)
1995: Jerry Stackhouse (3, Philadelphia); Rasheed Wallace (4, Washington)
1998: Antawn Jamison (4, Toronto); Vince Carter (5, Golden State)
2001: Brendan Haywood (20, Washington); Joseph Forte (21, Boston)
2005: Marvin Williams, (2, Atlanta); Raymond Felton (5, Charlotte); Sean May
(13, Charlotte); Rashad McCants (14, Minnesota)
North Carolina, Boston College, Southern California, Missouri and LSU are
the only schools to have players selected in the first rounds of both the
2009 NFL Draft and the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft. UNC wide receiver
Hakeem Nicks went 29th to the New York Giants; first baseman Dustin Ackley
went #2 to the Seattle Mariners and pitcher Alex White went #15 to the
Cleveland Indians.
Only one other time in Carolina history has at least one Tar Heel been
selected in the first round in the NFL, Major League Baseball and NBA
Drafts. In 1984, offensive lineman Brian Blados went in the NFL Draft,
pitcher Scott Bankhead went in the baseball draft, and Michael Jordan and
Sam Perkins were selected in the NBA Draft. 
