Top draft prospect Cole Anthony indicates he will return to UNC after knee surgery

Cole Anthony’s college career isn’t over just yet.

The North Carolina star freshman indicated in an Instagram post on Thursday that he plans to remain with the team despite suffering a knee injury that kept him out for more than a month of action.

There had previously been talk of Anthony potentially shutting down his season to focus on the draft, so this should be a major relief for the flailing Tar Heels.

Without Anthony, UNC has gone 2-5 and currently finds itself at 8-8 with the heart of its ACC schedule remaining. The team currently ranks 86th in the KenPom ratings, not exactly NCAA Tournament material.

In Yahoo Sports’ first NBA mock draft in December, Anthony was projected to be taken fourth overall. In nine games with UNC, the 19-year-old is averaging 19.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists.

Getting Anthony back would be a big step for the Tar Heels in saving their season, but they’ll still need a massive second-half rally or an ACC Tournament title if they want to reach March Madness.

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