ACC Basketball:Top Five 2016 NBA Draft Prospects of the ACC

Brice Johnson. Evan Pike-USA TODAY Sports

Brice Johnson/ 6-foot-9, 225 LBS/Forward

Brice Johnson is the player that could benefit the most from the preseason hype surrounding the North Carolina Tar Heels going into the 2015-16 season.

North Carolina is ranked No.1 in the Coaches’ Poll along with Kentucky and is widely viewed as a National Championship contender.

If the Tar Heels’ live up to that hype it is because Brice Johnson elevated his level of play and was the frontline presence that the Heels’ needed this season.

He is going to be ranked No.3 as far as this Top Five goes because there is no discrimination against a player that ends up playing four-years of college hoop.

A lot of people would see the fact that he did not leave for the pros as a deterrent. This means that he is going to be that much more prepared when he does get ready for the NBA Draft.

What makes Brice Johnson attractive on the court is the efficient way that he goes about his offense. He has shot 56.6% from the field the last two seasons while improving his scoring and rebounding averages.

His leaping ability along with his wingspan make him potentially a great defender on the pro level, he just needs to become more disciplined on the defensive end to meet his potential.

He is kind of anxious to reject shots and that gets him in trouble when he sees pump fakes.

The fact of the matter is he can still put on some weight and runs very little risk of taking away from his explosiveness if he does.

Because he runs the floor so well, has extraordinary leaping ability,  and can potentially be a strong defender when he gains discipline, he will be very attractive to NBA Scouts.

Next: No. 2 NBA Prospect Notre Dame's Demetrius Jackson