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University of North Carolina Athletics
Tony Bradley to Stay in 2017 NBA Draft
May 24, 2017 | Men's Basketball
University of North Carolina freshman forward Tony Bradley is staying in the NBA Draft.
“Watching all the great Tar Heel players while I was growing up made Carolina my dream school and this past year made for some great memories,” says Bradley. “We had some great moments together, topped off with a national championship, which made the year even sweeter. March Madness was an unbelievable experience. I want to thank Coach Williams, Coach Davis, and all the coaching staff, for believing in me and giving me an opportunity to play as a freshman.
"I want to thank Jonas (Sahratian) and Doug (Halverson) for helping me get stronger and their guidance and efforts when I was injured and Sean May and Eric Hoots for all of their friendship and support. And, of course, I want to thank my teammates for their support all year, especially while I was going through this draft process.
“Even though I only played one year it feels like I've been part of the UNC program for a lot longer and I will be a Tar Heel forever.”
Bradley averaged 7.1 points and 5.1 rebounds and shot 57.3 percent from the floor in 38 games for the 2017 national champions. He scored in double figures 13 times, three times in ACC play (NC State, Notre Dame and at Pitt) and once in the NCAA Tournament (12 vs. Texas Southern). The Bartow, Fla., native was seventh in the ACC in offensive rebounding at 2.6 per game.
“Tony helped us win the ACC regular-season championship and the national championship and we appreciate all that he has done and will continue to accomplish as a Tar Heel,” says Carolina head coach Roy Williams. “He was the second-leading rebounder on a team that led the nation in rebounding on both ends of the court. Tony's an outstanding young man. We will continue to help him develop as a player and support him fully as he reaches his dream of playing professional basketball. We will enjoy watching him play for a long time to come.”
Bradley became the first Tar Heel (since offensive rebounds were recorded in 1995-96) with 150 or more rebounds in a season who had more offensive rebounds than defensive.
He was second on the team in field goal percentage and third in rebounds, led UNC in rebounding five times and was UNC's defensive player of the game five times. Bradley averaged 5.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament, scoring five points and grabbing seven rebounds in the title game vs. Gonzaga.
