Staff video by Travis Long
With a national championship in hand, UNC juniors Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington are headed to the NBA.
The backcourt pair declared for the draft on Thursday at a farewell press conference at the Smith Center.
"It's hard to leave Carolina because of all the great memories," Lawson said. "It's the right time."
UNC coach Roy Williams said the feedback he received from NBA personnel indicated both would be first-round picks.
"I talked to 13 different teams over the past two weeks," Williams said. "Every indication is this is a good time."
Lawson, the ACC Player of the Year, averaged 16.6 points per game and led the ACC in assists (6.6 per game). The 5-foot-11 junior is considered one of the best point guard prospects in the draft.
Ellington, who averaged 15.8 points per game, scored 19 points in the championship win over Michigan State and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. The 6-4 shooting guard led UNC this season with 85 3-pointers.
Both juniors entered the draft in 2008 but did not hire an agent. After going through the evaluation process, they returned to UNC.
"I'm just grateful that I did make the decision [to return]," Ellington said. "It was one of the best decisions I made."
Williams has prepared for their departures. Williams added point guard Larry Drew II in last year's recruiting class. Drew, perhaps with help from fifth-year senior Marcus Ginyard, will run the offense in 2009-10.
Williams signed star prep shooting guard Dexter Strickland in this year's recruiting class and Leslie McDonald. Strickland, a 6-3 shooting guard, is a McDonald's All-American from Elizabeth, N.J.
McDonald, 6-4 from Memphis, is also ranked among the top 55 prospects nationally.
Without Lawson and Ellington — plus seniors Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Green — UNC starts over next season without its top four scorers.
Williams managed a similar roster overhaul, after winning the 2005 title and losing four first-round picks, by winning 12 ACC games. The two recruiting classes after the '05 title were the foundation for this year's title team.
The Heels appear to be in a similar reloading mode with four new McDonald's All-Americans poised to join the program.
Comments
No brainer
Thu, 04/23/2009 - 18:49 — JPDOhioFor selfish reasons, I am glad both of those guys have moved on. In reality, both made the right decision, because it is unlikely they could have improved their prospects by staying one more year.
The future
Thu, 04/23/2009 - 15:32 — boheathAccording to the History Channel and the Mayan Calender, the world will end in 2012. So with that, Ol Roy has three more shots at winning a title.
Ronnie B, I'm guessing your
Thu, 04/23/2009 - 15:06 — RaleighLlamaRonnie B, I'm guessing your alma mater must be proud.
Thanks for the memories Wayne and Ty and good luck!
Grad rates ARE high
Thu, 04/23/2009 - 14:49 — ThinkingFor the UNC student body overall, the graduation rate is 88 percent (six-year). For the basketball program, it is 86 percent (although probably not in six years.)
Grad rates are high
Thu, 04/23/2009 - 14:39 — ladylily21As has been reported this week, Carolina's graduation rates for the basketball program are fantastic. No doubt these two will follow in the footsteps of previous Tar Heel players (like Rasheed Wallace) and come back during the summer to finish their degrees.
More athlete-"student"s not getting a degree.
Thu, 04/23/2009 - 14:35 — RonBWhen is UNC going to drop the student part of the student-athlete designation? Oh wait, they play for Carolina. They are making the right decision, since they were never "students" to begin with. John Wall will feel right at home there, even Roy and co. wouldn't give him the time of day a few months ago. Have they found a job for his mom yet?
UNC still the Best
Thu, 04/23/2009 - 15:00 — GrandadNorth Carolina owns the highest Academic Progress Rate score in the 2009 tournament with a near-perfect 995 (out of 1,000)! (NCAA)
Carolina graduates 86 percent of its men's basketball players, an eye-opening 21 points higher than the national average for men's Division I basketball players (65 percent). THi9s 86% uses NCAA standards, but Carolina actually graduates a higher percentage. Some pros take longer than the NCAA allows. They are student athletes is the point.
Rivals rates UNC the best school for excellence in combining a top sports program with an outstanding educational program.
As the old axiom goes, better to remain silent and let people think you are uninformed than to open your mouth and remove all doubts!
Information can be tricky...
Thu, 04/23/2009 - 16:22 — johnboy76122How do high graduation rates of athletes measure a school's academics? The fact that so many graduate is reason for me to suspect favoritism and coddling. Everyone knows that schools like UNC are hard to get in (not because of the particular brain power of the applicants, but all the nepotism and hubris NC is known for), but a breeze to get out. It has been proven (see News and Observer, 1-25-09) that grades are inflated at Carolina. If I were a truly smart kid at UNC, I would be pissed, honestly. A test that asks "2+2=what" only makes the top 10% seem average. That's just wrong. Professors are robbing students of opportunities to excel and rise above the heap.
Certainlyl not surprising . . . but
Thu, 04/23/2009 - 14:08 — chuckde424a) UNC coach Roy Williams said the feedback he received from NBA personnel indicated both would be first-round picks.
"I talked to 13 different teams over the past two weeks," Williams said. "Every indication is this is a good time."
Hmmm ... ole Roy's credibility is on the line with Wayne . . .
b) any word on Wayne's buddy over at duke???
!
Thu, 04/23/2009 - 13:42 — FurbishLousewartI am shocked. Shocked! Well not that shocked.
A little late
Thu, 04/23/2009 - 08:33 — festerI heard Tuesday they were going to announce they were leaving, my source told me there would be an announcement yesterday (Wednesday) I wonder what the hold up was? Thanks Ty and Wayne, you guys were great now go enjoy your millions.