Tyler Hansbrough
CHAPEL HILL -- National Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough announced on Friday that he plans to return to North Carolina for his senior season, but two of his fellow stars could take their talents to the NBA.
Sophomore guards Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington plan to declare for the NBA Draft but will not hire agents so they will retain their amateur status until June 16. They have until that date to withdraw from the draft.
By entering the NBA Draft, Lawson and Ellington will take part in workouts and interviews with NBA teams and NBA general managers. They will use the information they get during those workouts to determine whether to stay in the draft or come back for their junior season.
Hansbrough has a chance to break a number of important records during his senior season. He needs just 123 points to become the all-time leading scorer in North Carolina history and 602 points to break the all-time ACC scoring mark.
He could also break the UNC career rebounding record and will have a chance to join George Glamack (1940-1941) and Michael Jordan (1983-1984) as the only two-time National Player of the Year award recipients.
As for Lawson and Ellington, they join one of the best rosters of talent in a number of years declaring for the NBA Draft.
Counting top-flight point guards alone, Memphis’ Derrick Rose, Arizona’s Jerryd Bayless, UCLA’s Russell Westbrook and Darren Collison, Texas’ D.J. Augustin and Kansas’ Mario Chalmers are all likely first-round NBA Draft selections.
The Tar Heels lost to Kansas 84-66 in the Final Four and finished 36-3 overall last season.
They have three talented freshman coming in next season in Ed Davis (PF, 6-8, 215), Tyler Zeller (PF, 6-11, 220) and Larry Drew (PG, 6-0, 170).