Brice Johnson
Forward, North Carolina
What do you know, another senior. Johnson is the prototypical NBA post player; long and athletic with the ability to finish around the rim. The Tar Heels get plenty of coverage, so scouts have followed Johnson closely throughout the year. But their high praise has been reaffirmed in March.
Johnson spurred North Carolina to three straight blowout wins with monstrous games, plastering 25 points and 12 rebounds against Notre Dame after posting 20 and 10 state lines against the previous two opponents. Maybe more impressive, he’s shot over 60 percent in three out of the four NCAA games. Like Hield, he finds ways to make big plays in the second half.
Johnson started as a fringe top 10 pick, most likely getting selected in the middle of the first round, to an undoubtable top-8 pick in June’s NBA draft. One important note, Roy Williams hasn’t coached a big name NBA player in a long time. His last All-Star, Paul Pierce, graduated from Kansas in 1998. And it’s not from recruiting a lack of talent. It just seems like Williams poorly prepares his players for the next level. Take that for what it’s worth.
Where does he go?
The Toronto Raptors will get the New York Knicks top 10 pick, and I believe that will be as far as Johnson falls. All the Raps are missing is an athletic post player. Valanciunas is nice, but not the freak athlete Johnson is. He would be a great fit for a near championship-level team.
Next: Grayson Allen