Matt Able, who committed to UNC out of the transfer portal in April after playing his freshman season at NC State but also went through the NBA Draft Combine process, withdrew his name from the draft Monday. Able has already signed with the Tar Heels, meaning he is locked in to playing for the program in the 2026-27 season.
A former four-star recruit from Baltimore ranked among the top 30 players in the class of 2025, Able was one of the Wolfpack’s top reserve players during the 2025-26 season. Though he did not start a game, the 6-foot-6 wing still averaged 21.8 minutes per game off the bench. He played well when his number was called, averaging 8.8 points per game and shooting 35.5 percent on three-pointers. Ironically, his best game came against the Tar Heels, when Able scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds in 31 minutes during the Wolfpack’s 82-58 win.
Though not initially viewed as a surefire first-round pick after his freshman season, Able quickly turned heads with some impressive performances during the NBA Draft Combine earlier in May. In two 5-on-5 scrimmages, Able averaged 16 points per game against other NBA hopefuls. In the wake of those performances, ESPN projected Able as the No. 33 overall pick in the draft.
The deadline for players like Able to withdraw their names from the draft is Wednesday, May 27. Now that he is indeed heading to Chapel Hill this coming season, Able joins several newcomers filling out the roster in head coach Michael Malone’s first season in charge. For a full list of those newcomers, click here.
Featured image via NC State Athletics
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