North Carolina freshman Cole Anthony, a projected lottery pick, declared his eligibility for the NBA draft on Friday.
— Cole Anthony (@The_ColeAnthony) April 17, 2020
In his announcement, Anthony thanked coach Roy Williams and the staff at North Carolina as well as his teammates and fans.
Anthony is ranked 11th in the ESPN Top 100 for the 2020 draft after he averaged 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game for the Tar Heels, though he missed a significant chunk of the season following knee surgery. His scoring average was the highest by a North Carolina player since Tyler Hansbrough (20.7 PPG) in 2008-09, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Last month, Anthony announced that he was delaying his decision on whether to go pro, citing the effect of the coronavirus pandemic in New York City, where he grew up when his father, Greg, played for the Knicks.
He said he had a “higher purpose in this moment.”
As part of Friday’s announcement, Anthony praised the doctors, nurses, medical workers and first responders, among others, for being “not only our leaders, but our heroes and our MVPs.”