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UNC basketball’s Harrison Ingram makes 2024 NBA Draft decision

UNC basketball forward Harrison Ingram will enter the 2024 NBA Draft, he announced Saturday in a social media post.

"Throughout my life, playing in the NBA has always been a main dream of mind, and with that, I am excited to announce that I am officially declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft," Ingram said.

In his first season with the Tar Heels, Ingram’s versatility made him a vital piece for a retooled squad that won the ACC regular-season championship and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

After two seasons at Stanford, the 6-foot-7, 235-pound forward averaged 12.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game as a junior at UNC. He had 11 double-doubles, shot 38.5% from 3-point range and became one of the Tar Heels’ top defenders across 37 games.

Where is UNC basketball forward Harrison Ingram projected to be picked in the 2024 NBA Draft?

Ingram isn’t known for overwhelming athleticism, but his versatility made him one of the top players in the ACC last season. He can take advantage of mismatches, knock down threes, rebound at a high level and defend multiple positions. He’s not listed on USA TODAY’s latest mock draft and projections have Ingram expected to be a second-round pick or undrafted free agent. His size and versatility will land him an opportunity somewhere.

What UNC's 2024-25 roster looks like without Harrison Ingram

With Ingram and Armando Bacot gone, the Tar Heels lost two starters in the frontcourt, two of their top scorers and their top two rebounders. Bacot and Ingram accounted for 50.5% of the Tar Heels' rebounds last season. UNC is set to return Jalen Washington (3.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg), but the Tar Heels have targeted several post players in the transfer portal.  Belmont's Cade Tyson, Yale's Danny Wolf and Rutgers' Cliff Omoruyi are among the players UNC has reportedly targeted in the transfer portal. If UNC is going to be a national championship contender, it has to find a veteran, reliable big. With Ingram's departure, UNC has five scholarships available as of April 20.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: UNC basketball’s Harrison Ingram makes 2024 NBA Draft decision