The Tar Heels may have only had one player hear their name called in the first ever two day NBA Draft, but since its conclusion two others have landed with NBA squads.
It started on Thursday night when forward Armando Bacot signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Utah Jazz. An Exhibit 10 contract is the equivalent of a summer league contract and will give him an opportunity to earn a training camp invite with the team.
Bacot closed his five year Tar Heel career this past season by averaging 14.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 54.0% from the field. The four time All-ACC member finished his career averaging 13.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 55.2% overall. His 1,715 rebounds, 593 offensive rebounds and 87 double-doubles are the most in Tar Heel basketball history and his 2,347 points are second behind only the legendary Tyler Hansbrough. Those double-doubles are also tied for the second most in NCAA history with Tim Duncan and he is eighth all-time in rebounds with the most in a career of anyone since 1964. His seven consecutive tournament games with a double-double is tied for the NCAA record with Tim Duncan and Hakeem Olajuwon and his 31 in the 2021-22 season was tied for the most in a single season in NCAA history with David Robinson’s 1985-86 season.
Earlier today, we found out his teammate from this past season, Cormac Ryan, is getting his opportunity with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He also signed an Exhibit 10 contract to play with the team in the summer league as tries to earn a training camp invite from someone even if it’s not the Thunder.
In his lone season in Chapel Hill, Ryan averaged 11.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 38.2% overall, 35.4% from three and 87.4% from the free throw line. He finished his college career averaging 10.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 39.5% overall, 35.2% from three and 82.5% from the foul line in his five years between three schools.
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These are both good circumstances for 'Mando and Mac, given their physical profiles and the way the NBA showcase spectacle production is currently staged.