Lucas: Pro Day Draws Big Crowd

By Adam Lucas

Tuesday's Carolina basketball practice was a little different.

Not completely. There was still the normal practice plan, still the Thought for the Day at the top of the page, still the pre-practice discussion at 3:01 p.m. to go over the offensive and defensive emphasis for the day.

But it felt a little sharper. Perhaps that intensity could be attributed to the two dozen NBA representatives seated courtside, participants in this year's Carolina Basketball Pro Day.

It's been fairly typical to spot an NBA scout or two at multiple practices this preseason. But this was a concentrated effort to invite every professional team and give them a look at the 2025-26 roster all at once, with seating provided courtside for each attendee to give them an even better view of this year's Heels. By the time Tuesday's practice was completed, at least one representative from every team has been to Chapel Hill this fall.

Tuesday's attendance had personnel from all NBA backgrounds. There were key members of NBA front offices, like Adam Simon, the Miami Heat's vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager. There were former players-turned-executives like Tony Delk and Ed Pinckney.

And there were, of course, individuals who showcased Carolina's deep professional ties. For example, Ryan Hoover is currently the vice president of global scouting for the Milwaukee Bucks. Way back in 2004, though, he was a video coordinator under Tar Heel Larry Brown when the Detroit Pistons won the world championship. The individuals who directly hired him for the Pistons? Tar Heels John Kuester and Dave Hanners. It's not unusual to see either of those gentlemen at practice; Hanners was in the Smith Center on Tuesday.

The multiple hugs and handshakes exchanged along the sideline before and after practice were a reminder that the pro ranks are a familiar world for multiple Tar Heels. Hubert Davis spent a dozen years in the NBA. Sean May played in the league for four seasons. Pat Sullivan had a lifetime on pro coaching staffs before coming to Chapel Hill to join Davis' staff. Jim Tanner dealt with every front office during a 28-year career representing more than 70 NBA players.

The Carolina team the pros watched on Tuesday looks noticeably more like a professional squad than last year's team. There is substantial size, with six players on the roster at least 6-foot-10. There is raw talent, like Caleb Wilson, who was picked to the preseason All-ACC second team announced on Tuesday.

And there was enough depth to have a credible scrimmage with officials for a portion of practice, with solid battles at most every position. Just because there were special visitors, however, didn't mean Davis let the details slide. After a careless turnover, he abruptly halted practice to require both the Blue and White teams to run two down-and-backs.

Days like Tuesday are a reminder of how appealing college basketball can be for someone like Montenegro native Luka Bogavac. Within a month of starting practice with the Tar Heels, representatives from every NBA team have seen him in person. Sure, the scouting world gets smaller all the time and it's much easier than it used to be for American teams to see international imports. But there's just something about watching Bogavac swish multiple three-pointers in person, as he did on Tuesday.

He and all his teammates got the chance to audition in person for the next level on Tuesday. But they are also well aware that the attention they receive over the rest of the season depends largely on how well Carolina plays as a team. The Heels have three nonconference games in the first month of the season against teams ranked in the top 19 of the Associated Press preseason poll released this week—Kansas (Nov. 7 at the Smith Center) is No. 19, Michigan State (Nov. 27 in Fort Myers) is No. 22 and Kentucky (Dec. 2 at Rupp Arena) is No. 9.

The Heels' first non-intrasquad action will come next Friday night in Salt Lake City in an exhibition against No. 8 BYU. Fans have one more opportunity to see Blue-White competition when Carolina appears in Cherokee this weekend.

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Players Mentioned

Luka Bogavac

Caleb Wilson

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