NBA Draft 2020: Big Board 1.0 after start of regular season
1. Cole Anthony, Point Guard
Team: North Carolina
A nice choice to be the top overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, as it stands now, is the former five-star recruit and North Carolina freshman point guard Cole Anthony. One of the best jump shots in this draft class, an extremely versatile offensive arsenal that could translate to the NBA right away, and insane two-way potential makes Anthony a very appealing guard prospect.
The Oak Hill Academy product one of the nation’s most highly touted recruits throughout the 2019 cycle, but few could’ve expected him to produce at the level he has for the Tar Heels so far. He’s averaging 27.3 points per game, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in a rather limited sample size with the Tar Heels.
It would be nice to see the turnovers cut down for Anthony, but he’s scoring so much for the Tar Heels that’s it hard to argue with his production. He’s also registering more than two steals per game.
Combine all that with a three-point shooting percentage around 45 percent, and you get the most attractive prospect in this draft class as it appears now.
UNC doesn’t have much depth in this draft class in terms of potential first round picks, but they are very top heavy with Anthony in the mix. In-state rival Duke should have more first round draft picks, but none that are likely to match the scouting profile and overall ceiling that Anthony has.