NBA Draft: North Carolina's Prospect-Loaded Roster

Top-tier freshmen, high-value transfers and accomplished returning players highlight the Tar Heels' Impressive roster heading into the 2025 season

Mar 28, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Elliot Cadeau (2) controls the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first half in the semifinals of the West Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Heading into the 2025 season, North Carolina boasts one of the most prospect-filled rosters in college basketball. High-upside freshmen, returning players, and transfers help make the Tar Heels not only an interesting team to monitor in terms of the draft but also a real title contender.

Let's highlight five standout players who have the best chance of being selected in the 2025 NBA draft.

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Ian Jackson | Guard | 6-foot-4 | 190-pounds

Apr 2, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; McDonald's All American East forward Ian Jackson (11) dribbles the ball during the first half against the McDonald's All American West at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Ian Jackson may have the most star potential out of this group, thanks to his polarizing two-way upside. He has great athleticism, which allows him to disrupt opponents on the defensive end as well as finish plays above the rim in transition. While playing in the halfcourt, Jackson does a great job of penetrating defenses and either sliding to the rim or knocking down mid-range pull-ups. His ability to make highlights will surely make him a fan favorite and could propel him up draft boards, but he will need to improve his connectivity and three-point shooting to reach his full potential as a prospect. Jackson looks like a surefire first-round selection and could battle his way into the top 10 if his fit promotes him to one of the Tar Heel's first scoring options.

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Drake Powell | Wing | 6-foot-6 | 195-pounds

Apr 2, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; McDonald's All American East guard Drake Powell (9) drives to the basket around McDonald's All American West guard Trent Perry (0) during the first half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Drake Powell is a physically dominant wing whose high-level motor makes him impactful all over the court. He is not much of a self-creator at the moment, which could slow his development throughout his freshman year, but he excels in the open court. His ability to attack the rim off-ball is impressive, as he jumps at opportunities to cut for open runways. Defensively, Powell uses his elite athleticism and strong frame to create havoc within opponents’ offenses. Major shooting improvements may be a little ways off, but if he can show some steps in the right direction, his potential will be extremely intriguing to NBA teams. Powell could easily be viewed as a lottery-level talent, but time will tell just how promising his off-ball skill set will be.

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Elliot Cadeau | Guard | 6-foot-1 | 180-pounds

Mar 28, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Elliot Cadeau (2) controls the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first half in the semifinals of the West Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Elliot Cadeau was one of the highest-ranked guards coming into his freshman season in 2024 but struggled at times, which led him to return for his sophomore year. He is a little undersized but has an impressive handle, great court vision, and high-end change of speed. Cadeau led the Tar Heels in assists last season and should be able to continue his playmaking productivity heading into year two. A key factor in his draftability will rely on how well he improves his three-point shooting. Last season, Cadeau made just below 19% of his threes, which is far from NBA-ready. Depending on where his improvements take him during the upcoming season, Cadeau’s draft range is uncertain but would likely fall somewhere in the second round.

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Cade Tyson | Forward | 6-foot-7 | 200-pounds

Belmont guard Cade Tyson (10) shoots over Lipscomb guard Derrin Boyd (4) during the second half at the Curb Event Center in Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

Cade Tyson is a very intriguing transfer for the Tar Heels and has a chance to be seen as one of the best shooters in all of college basketball. He has good size and moves extremely well off-ball while getting to his spots for open threes. Tyson also has decent athleticism, which can be seen as he runs the court in transition and finishes plays at the rim when he gets a running start. His career shooting splits of 49%/45%/86% paint a clear picture of just how deadly he is on jumpers. He has good touch inside the perimeter and can also serve as a great connective playmaker, which should take another leap while playing with a more talented Tar Heel roster. If Tyson enters the 2025 draft, he would most likely be viewed as a second-round steal and could be a plug-and-play shooter.

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RJ Davis | Guard | 6-foot | 180-poundss

Mar 28, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard RJ Davis (4) controls the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first half in the semifinals of the West Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

RJ Davis was one of the best players in college basketball last season, and while he does not have great positional size, his ability to create space seems translatable to the NBA level. He can score from all three levels efficiently and excels both on and off the ball. Davis was productive while playing with upperclassmen last season and should showcase even more leadership on their retooled roster. Davis’ on-ball scoring could fit into a spark-plug off-the-bench role for several NBA teams, similar to how Cam Thomas has been used by the Nets at times, but he will need to continue improving on the defensive end. As an older, undersized prospect, his draft range is wide, but he will definitely get an opportunity to prove himself regardless of where he is drafted.

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