NCAA Basketball: 10 biggest winners and losers from 2021 NBA Draft decisions

4. Winner – North Carolina Tar Heels

Former assistant now head coach Hubert Davis will get to start off his Tar Heel career with a pair of key returning players in Caleb Love and Armando Bacot, two former five-star prospects that could’ve easily been “one and done” freshmen players. Especially Bacot, who led North Carolina with 12.3 ppg and 7.8 rpg this past season and was the lone rotational big man who stayed this offseason.

It’s just as important that Love is back too, as the team now has a non-freshman point guard to lead the offense. The Tar Heels haven’t been their typical selves the past couple of years due to how young they’ve been but that should change next season. Losing just Day’Ron Sharpe to the draft should be considered a big success for the program this offseason.

4. Loser – Ohio Bobcats

The Bobcats won the MAC Tournament and upset Virginia in the Round of 64, thanks to Jason Preston and his historically good past season. He was the only player in the country to average at least 15 ppg, 7.0 rpg, and 7.0 apg and had a triple-double this year as well. His play not only got him on the national radar but also for NBA scouts.

Preston opted to stay in the draft and could very well get selected in the first round. It’s a big blow for the mid-major program, as they go from MAC preseason favorites to still in the top-4 but without the top overall player in the league. At least Ohio brings back multiple double-digit contributors to remain viable but while other mid-major programs got their stars back, this one didn’t.