NBA Draft: North Carolina's Elliot Cadeau has Made a Noticeable Leap

On a loaded Tar Heels roster, standout sophomore guard Elliot Cadeau has mad improvements in every aspect of his game as he continues making a push towards the 2025 NBA draft.

Nov 4, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Elliot Cadeau (3) on the fast break as Elon Phoenix forward Isaac Harrell (12) defends in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

North Carolina’s sophomore guard Elliot Cadeau appears to have made an impressive leap in his second year of collegiate play. While he is a smaller guard at 6-foot-1, his offensive feel and playmaking ability have been two of the most impressive aspects of the Tar Heels' roster. In a draft class that has looked loaded up to this point, the door could still be wide open for Cadeau to work his way onto teams' draft boards, despite an underwhelming freshman season. Let’s take a look at his areas of improvement so far this season and why he could be one of the best table-setters in this class.

In his freshman season, Cadeau struggled to find ways to make a consistent impact, with averages of seven points, two rebounds and four assists on shooting splits of 41.7%/18.9%/64.8%. He was a highly touted recruit, so these struggles were disappointing, but so far this season, he has shown why colleges were so high on him by making drastic leaps in every category. Through North Carolina’s first three games this season, he is averaging 15.7 points, three rebounds, 7.7 assists and 2.7 steals on much more efficient shooting: 48.1% from the field, 40% from three and 73.9% on free throws. While these numbers come from a small sample size, his seamless fit and consistent aggressiveness offer hope that this could be a season-long leap.

Cadeau’s passing has stood out the most; he has recorded eight assists twice against weaker teams, along with seven assists in a 92-89 loss to No. 1 Kansas. He navigates pick-and-rolls at an elite level but also shows the ability to find teammates off touch passes while the ball is swinging along the perimeter. It’s clear that he is at his best when putting the ball on the floor, and this is also true for his scoring.

He looks much more confident this season when taking jump shots, as his form is clean and smooth on pull-ups. Last season, he seemed hesitant at times, and overthinking hurt not only his productivity but the Tar Heels' offense as well. While North Carolina has several legitimate scoring options on the team, his ability to be their third-leading scorer at this point has been very impressive.

On the defensive side of the ball, Cadeau leads the Tar Heels in steals with 2.7 per game, while the second-highest average is 1.0. He is showing a much higher motor than last season and does not hesitate to take calculated risks in passing lanes. While his size will likely be a concern for defending at the next level, continuing to be a pest both on and off the ball should allow him to remain impactful against higher levels of competition.

These first three games surely won’t tell the whole story ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft, but it’s undeniable that he has looked like a much better prospect in his second season for North Carolina. It’s not a foregone conclusion that he will leave after this year, but he has an opportunity to continue expanding his game as the season progresses, which could help highlight how valuable he can be in running an offense.

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