With the 2026 NBA Draft complete, North Carolina is already prominently featured in early 2027 projections.
In his first 2027 NBA mock draft for The Athletic, Sam Vecenie ranks new Tar Heel guard Matt Able at No. 26 overall and lists three other UNC players — incoming freshman center Sayon Keita, Virginia Tech transfer guard Neoklis Avdalas and international forward Alexandros Samodurov — among his early names to watch.
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Able, a Baltimore native who began his college career at NC State, tested the NBA Draft waters this spring while entering the transfer portal after his freshman season. Initially viewed as a mid–second-round pick, he boosted his stock with a strong showing at the NBA Draft Combine, climbing as high as No. 33 in ESPN’s mock draft before withdrawing and committing to North Carolina.
At NC State last season, Able came off the bench and averaged 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 21.8 minutes over 34 games. He shot 41.6% from the field, 35.5% from 3-point range and 79.6% at the free-throw line. In 18 ACC games, he averaged 9.2 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 42.1% from the field, 37.3% from beyond the arc and 83.3% from the line.
Vecenie describes Able as “a big-time shooter and scorer” who can provide the offensive punch North Carolina needs “both as a shooter and as a driver attacking closeouts.” He also notes that Able took a step forward defensively this season, showing the ability to use his hands to create turnovers and disrupt actions on the perimeter.
Keita, a 7-footer from Bamako, Mali, who is arriving from FC Barcelona’s youth program, does not crack Vecenie’s projected first round but appears in his “other names to watch” section. Keita owns a 7-foot-7 wingspan and intriguing physical tools but is considered a long-term development piece.
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“Keita is a multi-year project as he fills out his frame,” Vecenie writes. “He has a ton of defensive tools in terms of mobility and length, but he’s not strong enough.”
Two more North Carolina newcomers, Avdalas and Samodurov, also land in Vecenie’s early watch list.
Avdalas, a transfer guard from Virginia Tech, averaged 12.1 points, 4.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds last season for the Hokies. He shot 38.6% from the field and 31.4% from 3-point range. Vecenie says Avdalas was the player he came closest to including in his top 30.
“Avdalas was the player I was closest to ranking outside of the top 30,” Vecenie writes. “I think his upside is high in a well-spaced North Carolina ecosystem led by Malone. He’s a gifted player with the ball in his hands and can pass. He needs to find answers as a scorer.”
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Samodurov, an international big man, averaged 5.1 points and 1.7 rebounds in 29 combined games for Panathinaikos this season, shooting 76.9% on 2-point attempts and 26.7% from 3 (8-for-30).
Last summer, he appeared for Greece at FIBA EuroBasket, averaging 4.9 points and 4.6 blocked shots in nine games. He shot 58.3% from 3-point range (7-for-12) in that event and 26.3% from beyond the arc (5-for-19) in other competition.
“Samodurov is skilled, but I want to see how his game translates to college basketball,” Vecenie writes.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC newcomers land on 2027 NBA draft radar
