Just one UNC basketball player in first ESPN 2023 NBA mock draft

The 2022 NBA draft is complete and now the focus shifts to the Summer League for teams and rookies. However, it’s never too early to look ahead at the 2023 NBA draft and the potential prospects that will be in it.

As soon as the draft was over, ESPN launched their first mock draft for 2023 and one UNC player was listed in the two-round mock. Guard Caleb Love found himself in the second round, going to Atlanta via a trade with Charlotte.

Love was selected No. 42 overall to the Hawks and listed as a shooting guard in the mock.

After improving in his sophomore season, Love made the decision to return to UNC for another year. He did test the process a little bit and the feedback wasn’t good enough for him to stay in the draft, signaling that he was likely going to be a late second-round pick or even undrafted this year.

For Love, he’s motivated to up that stock and after improving his shooting numbers a year ago, he can do the same thing here this season and try to find his way into the first round.

Love was the only UNC prospect listed in the mock as Armando Bacot and R.J. Davis were both not named in the mock. The good news is that there’s a whole season ahead to change that for both players as they try to win a title for North Carolina.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.