After an impactful freshman season with North Carolina basketball, Day’Ron Sharpe has declared for the 2021 NBA Draft.
The 6-foot-11, 265-pound Sharpe entered UNC as a 5-star recruit; during his freshman season, he turned plenty of heads, too. While appearing in all 29 games, Sharpe made four starts; he averaged 9.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.
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Despite the bench role and inconsistent minutes, Sharpe was clearly the most talented player on North Carolina’s roster. Sharpe led the country in offensive rebound rate: 18.3 percent. He also blocked 1.9 shots per 40 minutes.
There are some concerns with Sharpe’s offense on the next level: how will he score the basketball? Up to this point, Sharpe has shown little shooting range; his only real source of offense comes on cuts and put-backs. That’s perfectly fine; however, it could put somewhat of a hard cap on the caliber of NBA player he’s able to become.
Regardless, Sharpe is incredibly strong and he plays the game with a wonderful motor. He’ll need to improve his fitness some, too. But Sharpe’s power on the offensive glass — mixed with his processing speed as a passer and help defender — make for an interesting prospect. Sharpe projects as a late first round pick.
With Sharpe headed to the NBA, UNC’s roster continues to take hits. While Sharpe’s decision should come as no surprise, it does leave the 2021-22 Tar Heels down another talented player — with Walker Kessler’s move to leave the program.
As far as UNC goes, the question now becomes: What happens with Garrison Brooks and Armando Bacot?
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Former 5-star center Walker Kessler to leave UNC after one season