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Matt Able is withdrawing from the 2026 NBA Draft to play for Michael Malone and UNC basketball, he announced via Instagram on Tuesday, May 26.
The deadline to withdraw and maintain college eligibility is 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 27. Able was among the top performers at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, averaging 16 points in two scrimmages, knocking down 7 of 14 shots (50%) from 3-point range.
The 6-foot-6, 205-pound guard committed to the Tar Heels on April 21 as one of the top players available in the transfer portal. In his freshman season for the Wolfpack, Able averaged 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in 21.8 minutes off the bench. He shot 41.6% and made 35.5% of his attempts from beyond the arc.
He had 14 games with double-digit points and 13 with multiple 3-pointers, scoring a season-best 19 points with five 3-pointers in a win against UNC in Raleigh. Able worked out for several NBA teams, but mock drafts had the 18-year-old prospect projected to be a second-round pick. During the combine, Able was asked by NCAA.com’s Andy Katz about his decision to play for Malone’s Tar Heels.
“My goal has been, since a kid, to make it to the NBA and stay in the NBA. So I feel like, for me, I was going with what I thought was the best destination, best situation to make me a pro if I don’t go this year. For me, it was Coach Malone,” Able said.
“I had a lot of other really good options, but for me, it was Coach Malone being an NBA champion, coaching greats like (Nikola) Jokic, Jamal Murray. Being able to just be around those guys is just amazing. I feel like he runs an NBA system and it’ll help me take my game to the next level if I don’t go this year.”
The first N.C. State player to transfer to UNC since World War II, Able joins a UNC backcourt that includes returners Jaydon Young and Isaiah Denis, along with transfer portal additions in Terrence Brown Jr. (Utah) and Neoklis Avdalas (Virginia Tech). Incoming freshman Malloy Smith is also a part of Malone’s first group of guards.
Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding UNC? Send them to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Matt Able withdraws from NBA Draft, will play for UNC basketball
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The deadline to withdraw and maintain college eligibility is 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 27. Able was among the top performers at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, averaging 16 points in two scrimmages, knocking down 7 of 14 shots (50%) from 3-point range.
The 6-foot-6, 205-pound guard committed to the Tar Heels on April 21 as one of the top players available in the transfer portal. In his freshman season for the Wolfpack, Able averaged 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in 21.8 minutes off the bench. He shot 41.6% and made 35.5% of his attempts from beyond the arc.
He had 14 games with double-digit points and 13 with multiple 3-pointers, scoring a season-best 19 points with five 3-pointers in a win against UNC in Raleigh. Able worked out for several NBA teams, but mock drafts had the 18-year-old prospect projected to be a second-round pick. During the combine, Able was asked by NCAA.com’s Andy Katz about his decision to play for Malone’s Tar Heels.
“My goal has been, since a kid, to make it to the NBA and stay in the NBA. So I feel like, for me, I was going with what I thought was the best destination, best situation to make me a pro if I don’t go this year. For me, it was Coach Malone,” Able said.
“I had a lot of other really good options, but for me, it was Coach Malone being an NBA champion, coaching greats like (Nikola) Jokic, Jamal Murray. Being able to just be around those guys is just amazing. I feel like he runs an NBA system and it’ll help me take my game to the next level if I don’t go this year.”
The first N.C. State player to transfer to UNC since World War II, Able joins a UNC backcourt that includes returners Jaydon Young and Isaiah Denis, along with transfer portal additions in Terrence Brown Jr. (Utah) and Neoklis Avdalas (Virginia Tech). Incoming freshman Malloy Smith is also a part of Malone’s first group of guards.
Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding UNC? Send them to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Matt Able withdraws from NBA Draft, will play for UNC basketball
Continue reading...
