Tyler Zeller mentioned on Twitter that he had a good time filming an episode of How to be Awesome.
What's so awesome about the 7-foot former UNC basketball star? His rebounding skills and outlet passes, which he demonstrates with host Carlos Knight.
Watch the episode below (or on YouTube), and follow Zeller's exploits with his new NBA team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, from his Twitter account.
Tyler Zeller (left) and John Henson (right) will join Harrison Barnes and Kendall Marshall in the first round of the NBA draft tonight. The only questino is where the Tar Heels foursome will be selected. PHOTO: Robert Willett
NEWARK, N.J. — Welcome to the NBA draft. It’ll start in just about an hour or so. Then, of course, we’ll learn where North Carolina prospects Harrison Barnes, John Henson, Kendall Marshall and Tyler Zeller will be selected.
Will the foursome replicate – or even beat – the Tar Heels’ 2005 draft class? Four UNC players that year – Raymond Felton, Sean May, Rashad McCants and Marvin Williams – were selected among the top 14 picks. There’s a chance that the current group of Tar Heels matches that feat. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, if you haven’t already, be sure to check out the story I wrote that ran today about how UNC’s players are embracing their new beginning. Without the enormous expectations that surrounded them throughout last season at UNC, the three players here – Barnes, Henson and Zeller – seem more relaxed. The pressure is off.
And after you’re checking that out, here’s some bonus material: Barnes, Henson and Zeller on a variety of topics as they embark on the start of their professional careers …
Harrison Barnes, John Henson, Kendall Marshall and Tyler Zeller (not pictured) are all expected to be first-round picks in the NBA draft. But where? PHOTO: Robert Willett
NEW YORK — Welcome to New York. I’m coming at you live from the Westin in Times Square where, in less than hour, we’ll begin hearing from the 14 players who were invited to attend the NBA draft. Among them: North Carolina’s Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Tyler Zeller, all of whom are projected to be draft lottery picks.
Kendall Marshall, by the way, is not here. Though no one would be surprised if he wound up being a lottery pick as well when the draft commences on Thursday night at 7:30.
Between now and the start of the draft, there’s likely to be a good amount of speculation, rumors and guesses about which players is headed where. Outside of Anthony Davis, the former Kentucky freshman who’s a lock to be the No. 1 pick, this draft appears as wide open as any in recent memory.
Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Kendall Marshall are all projected (along with Tyler Zeller, not pictured) to be top-15 picks in the NBA draft. PHOTO: Robert Willett
The NBA draft order was announced last night and we know at least two things as a result: For one, the Charlotte Bobcats are suffering from some bad juju. First they suffer through one of the worst seasons in the NBA history, and then they lose out on the No. 1 pick. Second, and more important, we know it’s now officially NBA mock draft season.
That means, of course, that we know now where some people think other people will be drafted. A quick Google search for “NBA mock draft” turns up no shortage of results. Here are five of them:
DraftExpress
HoopsHype.com
NBADraft.net
SBNation
Sporting News
And here’s a look at where North Carolina’s players – Harrison Barnes, John Henson, Kendall Marshall and Tyler Zeller – are projected to be selected. At least according to the aforementioned mock drafts.
Tyler Zeller didn't end his college career the way he wanted, but his performance throughout the season made him a co-MVP of the 2011-12 Tar Heels. PHOTO: Robert Willet
CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina held its annual postseason basketball awards ceremony last Thursday night. And for some reason, I missed the release about it. My apologies. Senior forward Tyler Zeller and sophomore point guard Kendall Marshall received co-MVP honors during the ceremony, which was closed to the public and to the media.
Zeller at the end of the regular season received ACC Player of the Year honors while Marshall, who set an ACC single-season record with 351 assists, earned second-team All-ACC honors. Marshall joined sophomore forward Harrison Barnes and junior forward John Henson in leaving school early to enter the NBA draft.
Zeller and fellow senior Justin Watts were named permanent captains for the 2011-12 Tar Heels.
Here’s the complete list of winners:
Updated 6:10 p.m.
ATLANTA — After Mark Gottfried was hired by N.C. State in April, and throughout the first half of the season, the coach repeatedly said that his team had a "long way to go."
But there was the Wolfpack on Saturday in Atlanta going back-and-forth with North Carolina, the best team in the conference, in a classic ACC game and just seconds away from a spot in the ACC championship game.
Kendall Marshall's bank shot, with 10.2 seconds left, provided the difference for the top-seeded Tar Heels, who advanced to the title game with a pulsating 69-67 win.
ATLANTA — Tyler Zeller, the North Carolina senior forward who recently was named the ACC Player of the Year, added another honor on Friday when the ACC named him the recipient of the annual Skip Prosser Award. It’s the second consecutive season that Zeller has received the honor.
CHAPEL HILL — Tyler Zeller earlier today became the 13th player in North Carolina history to win ACC Player of the Year honors. How does Zeller compare to the others?
Here’s a look at Zeller and the Tar Heels’ other 13 recipients of ACC Player of the Year:
CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina forward Tyler Zeller earlier today became the 13th player in school history to be named ACC Player of the Year. He’ll enter the ACC tournament averaging 16.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game for the No. 4 Tar Heels.
Zeller leads UNC in field goal percentage (.549), is second in scoring, rebounding, free throw percentage (.803) and blocks (44). In ACC play, he averaged 18.5 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. Overall, he has finished 11 games with double-digit performances in points and rebounds, and Zeller’s 11 double-doubles are second-most in the ACC behind UNC junior forward John Henson.
And oh, yes: Zeller was also recently named the academic all-American of the year for men’s basketball by the College Sports Information Directors of America. UNC earlier today released a statement with Zeller’s reaction to being named ACC Player of the Year.
Here’s what he said:
The ACC announced on Monday its annual men’s basketball all-conference, all-defensive and all-freshmen teams. The honors are as follows, with voting point totals in parentheses:
