UNC’s Wilson's Draft Stock Soaring As NBA Combine Nears

He had his season come to a halt in February thanks to a season-ending wrist injury, but his season will still go down as one of the most impressive in recent UNC memory. Wilson is set to become just the second UNC freshman to have his jersey hung in the rafters of the Dean E. Smith Center, and the only one-and-done to do so. 

The 6-foot-10 forward has been considered one of the best prospects in the entire draft class. His ability to impact the game tremendously on both ends of the floor has given NBA scouts much reason to be intrigued. Wilson has been projected as a potential top-five pick in the 2026 NBA Draft for the majority of the cycle, but with the draft nearing, it’s possible he could be selected even higher.

Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin O’Connor believes that Wilson could potentially land as high as the 2nd overall pick, projecting him to be selected there by the Atlanta Hawks in his latest mock draft.

O’Connor’s Thoughts 

“Front office executives around the NBA increasingly believe Wilson could be the second player taken in June’s draft,” O’Connor said. “While his exact spot won’t be clear until after the Draft Lottery, once each pick is determined, some teams value the high-flying North Carolina freshman above the more ground-bound Cam Boozer from Duke. Others view Wilson as having similarly high upside as Kansas guard Darryn Peterson with dramatically lower downsides due to Peterson’s availability concerns.”

“Wilson is arguably the most gifted athlete in the draft class,” he added. “He's 6-10 with springs for legs, and when he's flying above the rim, finishing through contact and chasing down everything in his area code, he looks like a future cornerstone.”

Wilson will look to continue boosting his draft stock ahead of the NBA Draft. After a memorable freshman season at UNC, he’ll look to further his legacy at the next level in the NBA.