NBA Draft Scouting Report: North Carolina’s Matt Able

In the offseason, guard Matt Able confirmed his move from North Carolina State to North Carolina, crossing rivalry lines to land with the Tar Heels.

The former five-star guard is now certain to be a featured player for UNC, bolstering his 2027 NBA Draft stock in the process.

Below we’ll highlight Able’s strengths, areas of improvement and future draft outlook:

Position: Guard

College: North Carolina

Class: Sophomore

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 196

Draft age: 19.9

Strengths:

Positional Size and Versatility

At 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan, Able has great positional size for a guard, as well as the versatility to play a few different positions. He functioned off the ball well at NC State, shooting and spotting up, but could play more on the ball with the Tar Heels.

Shooting and Shot-Making

Able shot over four threes per game with the Wolfpack, making 36% of his outside shots. He has a good release, and isn’t locked in to simple stationary shots. With any improvement, he’ll be a dangerous shooter off the catch and while creating.

Defensive Upside

Able showed off plenty of defensive upside in his freshman season, using his nice size to play passing lanes and defend on the perimeter. He nabbed 1.2 steals per game and showcased some flashes of solid point-of-attack defense.

Able is sure to have an improved scoring load with North Carolina this season, and he’ll need to show that he can increase his offensive output while continuing defensive production as well.

Areas of Improvement:

Finishing

Able used his size and shake to get downhill and get to the ring, though he didn’t finish as effectively as most NBA decision-makers would’ve liked. He shot 53% at the rim, and will need to bolster that number while increasing the volume as well.

Play-Making

In addition to being a more featured offensive player, able will need to showcase that he can facilitate for others at a higher rate as well. Last season, he averaged less than an assist per game to the same number of turnovers.

Outlook:

Able is an intriguing talent in the 2027 class in that he showcased plenty last season, and will have the opportunity to build at a blue blood school in Year 2.

With any developement he'll likely lock himself into being a draft prospect, and with a good amount he'll massively boost his stock.

Projected Range: Mid-First to Early-Second

NBA Role: Jumbo Impact Guard

Swing Skills: Finishing

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