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Harrison Ingram picked a good year to enter the NBA Draft.
When the 6-5 Ingram transferred to Carolina from Stanford, he had two years of eligibility remaining, and it was almost a sure bet he would use them both to finish up his college career with the Tar Heels.
After all, Ingram was not a big star for the Cardinal after winning Pac 12 Freshman of the Year honors. In the bigger, more physical ACC, he figured to be a “tweener” – a little small to play power forward and not quite a good enough shooter to be a threat from the perimeter. His heart didn’t factor in.
Ingram was at the core of the Heels’ resurgence into the NCAA Tournament, and Hubert Davis talked about him as much off the court and in the locker room as when he suited up to play all 37 games and post the best numbers of his college career – 12.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 43 percent shooting, including 38.5 from outside.
When Ingram decided to enter the NBA Draft after the season, most of us thought he would get feedback from pro coaches and scouts that he needed another year in college. Then two things happened. He played better than expected against other NBA aspirants and the draft class turned out weak.
So Ingram stayed in the draft past the deadline for him to withdraw and return to Chapel Hill for his senior year. And after not appearing on many mock draft boards, he began showing up in the second round, closer to the top than the bottom. And it looks like he will get selected on Thursday night.
The latest boards have him around No. 45, which is about the middle of the second round, and hopefully he will be a great fit for whichever team picks him. The general managers and head coaches surely know by now that he will be a team player all the way, whether getting critical minutes or as a reserve.
The draft’s dearth of foreign players will also help Ingram. The 14 lottery picks include six foreigners, but another is not projected for the rest of the first round. That is a shortage from the regular European and foreign influence on the NBA that has mushroomed in recent years.
Ingram leaves a gaping hole at the power forward and small forward positions for the Tar Heels. Hopefully, Cade Tyson and Ven-Allen Lubin will bring from the portal what Ingram provided. We’ll miss him but wish him the very best.
Featured image via Todd Melet
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
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