Cole Anthony, a better pro than college player?

It is no surprise that Carolina’s latest first-round freshman opted into the NBA draft. Whatever you think of his uneven performance on the court, Anthony appeared to be a fabulous teammate, excited and demonstrably supportive from the bench during his 11-game absence.

We can debate whether he tried to do too much with a lineup that was likely the weakest Roy Williams has ever had as a college head coach. And we can argue whether Cole will be great in the NBA.

Not all Tar Heels turned pro early with surefire careers in the bag. Maybe Robert McAdoo in 1972, Worthy and Jordan in the ‘80s and Stackhouse, Wallace, Carter and Jamison in the ‘90s. But certainly J.R. Reid, Jeff McInnis, Joseph Forte had questionable NBA futures, and all of Roy Williams’ jumpers went because they were first-round picks with guaranteed money if not long-term livelihoods.

Had Anthony not missed so many games, Carolina would have won more of them and contested for a post-season berth. But when defenses got wise to him after his 34 in the opener against Notre Dame, he definitely needed more help to be a less-selfish teammate.

I believe he will a better player, if not a superstar, in the NBA. The pro-game rewards hustle for every minute on the court, and Anthony will give that. So, he will get more opportunities to score by simply outworking opponents. And the open-floor game fits his style as well, if not more, than Carolina’s up-tempo offense.

His biggest benefit will be playing alongside more talent than he had in college. Who knows why Anthony went 1-on-2 or 1-on-3 so often? Maybe lack of confidence that if he got the ball to poor-shooting teammates, they would miss more than they made.

Remember beleaguered Larry Drew? At the end of his aborted stay, his assist-turnover ratio was positive but could have been so much higher if he was pitching out to Wayne Ellington and Danny Green, who had already departed the program for the NBA. Not to compare players, because Anthony is far better, but you get my point.

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