North Carolina’s Coby White was selected seventh overall in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. White will be an easy addition at point guard for the Bulls who were relying on a lackluster Kris Dunn at the position. It’s a good landing spot for Coby to get minutes right away. He’ll join Zach Lavine, Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr. as the big names in Chicago who will be tasked in turning things around. A guy from UNC worked out pretty well for the Bulls before, if I remember correctly.
White was a bit of an unlikely one-and-done at Carolina despite coming to Chapel Hill as the North Carolina high school all-time scorer. Most thought it would take the Goldsboro, NC, native at least two years to thrive in Roy Williams’ system as a point guard, but Coby put his prolific scoring abilities to work immediately upon arrival at UNC.
It’s a great moment for a young man that has been nothing but easy to root for. White has been very public about the pain of losing his father at such a young age, and how his dad’s absence will somewhat overshadow what will otherwise be one of the happiest nights of his life as he makes the jump to professional basketball.
The Bulls are not only getting a player who can beat nearly anyone down the court for a bucket and can also shoot it from almost anywhere on the floor, but they are also getting a guy who is by all accounts a great young man as well.
Roy Williams has been criticized by his detractors for not making the most of the high level talent he recruits, but White turning pro and being drafted this high is nothing short of a huge success story for Coach. Coby obviously had all the talent in the world to get himself to this point, of course, but Williams noticed it very early on and helped White solidify himself as a top seven pick after just one season.
Congratulations to Coby!