University of North Carolina Athletics
Cole Anthony
Photo by: Maggie Hobson
NBA Draft Night Arrives For Cole Anthony
November 18, 2020 | Men's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL—The night Cole Anthony has anticipated for much of his life finally arrives with Wednesday's 2020 NBA Draft.
The point guard from New York City was a Third-Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference pick as a freshman in 2019-20 before declaring for the Draft as a one-and-done entrant, UNC's third in the last two years (joining Coby White and Nassir Little from the 2019 Draft).
Anthony now hopes to become the 53rd first-round NBA Draft pick in Carolina history and the 33rd in the illustrious career of head coach Roy Williams.
The Draft is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Wednesday and will be televised by ESPN.
• Fifty-two former Tar Heels have been selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, which equals Kentucky for the highest number of first-round selections.
• Thirty-two of Roy Williams' players have been selected in the first round – 21 Tar Heels and 11 Kansas Jayhawks.
• Five Tar Heels and five Jayhawks who played for Williams were selected in the second round of the NBA Draft.
• At least one Tar Heel was a first-round selection in 10 of Roy Williams' first 16 seasons (2019-20 was his 17th as head coach of the Tar Heels).
• Williams had a player selected in the first round of the NBA Draft in 17 of his first 31 seasons as a head coach (2019-20 was his 32nd as a head coach).
• Carolina had a player selected in the first round of the NBA Draft in 34 different seasons.
• ACC All-Freshman Team
• USBWA All-District III
• Basketball Times Second-Team All-Freshman
2019-20 Season Notes
Led Carolina in scoring at 18.5 points per game, the second-highest scoring average ever by a UNC freshman • Missed 11 games after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure to treat a partially torn meniscus in his right knee on 12/16/19 • Did not play from the Wofford game on Dec. 15 through the NC State game in Raleigh on Jan. 27 • Scored in double figures in 19 of his 22 games with one 30-point game and eight others with 20 or more (five times with 25 or more, second most by a UNC freshman) • Four double-figure rebound games • Led UNC in scoring 13 times • Led Carolina in plus/minus with a plus 55 • Made multiple three-pointers 12 times with a high of seven at Syracuse • Made four or more threes five times • Made 6 of 6 or better from the free throw line four times with a high of 14 for 14 against Boston College • Made 49 threes in 22 games (2.2 per game) • Had 88 assists and 77 turnovers (1.1) • Averaged 5.7 rebounds, highest in at least 50 years by a Tar Heel point guard • Two-time ACC Freshman of the Week (for his play vs. Notre Dame and UNCW in November and NC State and Syracuse in late February) • ACC Player of the Week for his play against the Irish and UNCW • Became the first Tar Heel to score 25 or more points and have seven assists in back-to-back games (at Syracuse and vs. Wake Forest) • Played 30 or more minutes 20 times.
The point guard from New York City was a Third-Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference pick as a freshman in 2019-20 before declaring for the Draft as a one-and-done entrant, UNC's third in the last two years (joining Coby White and Nassir Little from the 2019 Draft).
Anthony now hopes to become the 53rd first-round NBA Draft pick in Carolina history and the 33rd in the illustrious career of head coach Roy Williams.
The Draft is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Wednesday and will be televised by ESPN.
Carolina in the NBA Draft Notes
• 116 former Tar Heels have been selected in the NBA Draft. UNC has the third-most alumni selected in the NBA Draft behind Kentucky (132) and UCLA (124).• Fifty-two former Tar Heels have been selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, which equals Kentucky for the highest number of first-round selections.
• Thirty-two of Roy Williams' players have been selected in the first round – 21 Tar Heels and 11 Kansas Jayhawks.
• Five Tar Heels and five Jayhawks who played for Williams were selected in the second round of the NBA Draft.
• At least one Tar Heel was a first-round selection in 10 of Roy Williams' first 16 seasons (2019-20 was his 17th as head coach of the Tar Heels).
• Williams had a player selected in the first round of the NBA Draft in 17 of his first 31 seasons as a head coach (2019-20 was his 32nd as a head coach).
• Carolina had a player selected in the first round of the NBA Draft in 34 different seasons.
Cole Anthony Notes
• Third-team All-ACC in 2019-20• ACC All-Freshman Team
• USBWA All-District III
• Basketball Times Second-Team All-Freshman
2019-20 Season Notes
Led Carolina in scoring at 18.5 points per game, the second-highest scoring average ever by a UNC freshman • Missed 11 games after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure to treat a partially torn meniscus in his right knee on 12/16/19 • Did not play from the Wofford game on Dec. 15 through the NC State game in Raleigh on Jan. 27 • Scored in double figures in 19 of his 22 games with one 30-point game and eight others with 20 or more (five times with 25 or more, second most by a UNC freshman) • Four double-figure rebound games • Led UNC in scoring 13 times • Led Carolina in plus/minus with a plus 55 • Made multiple three-pointers 12 times with a high of seven at Syracuse • Made four or more threes five times • Made 6 of 6 or better from the free throw line four times with a high of 14 for 14 against Boston College • Made 49 threes in 22 games (2.2 per game) • Had 88 assists and 77 turnovers (1.1) • Averaged 5.7 rebounds, highest in at least 50 years by a Tar Heel point guard • Two-time ACC Freshman of the Week (for his play vs. Notre Dame and UNCW in November and NC State and Syracuse in late February) • ACC Player of the Week for his play against the Irish and UNCW • Became the first Tar Heel to score 25 or more points and have seven assists in back-to-back games (at Syracuse and vs. Wake Forest) • Played 30 or more minutes 20 times.
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