After taking weeks to decide whether to stay at North Carolina, junior guards Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson announced that they would enter the draft. Because they tested the draft process last season, they are ineligible to return to school. Their departure ensures that that the Tar Heels will lose 77 percent of their scoring from the championship team when coupled with the graduation of Tyler Hansbrough, Danny Green and Bobby Frasor. Lawson averaged 16.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game, and Ellington contributed 15.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Ellington and Lawson shared their thoughts about entering the draft during a press conference.
“It’s hard to leave Carolina because of all the great memories and things you learn in college,” Lawson said on Thursday afternoon. “All the fun I had with my teammates made it a hard decision. It’s just tough leaving here.”
“Winning a championship definitely had a lot to do with it,” said Ellington. “There’s no better way to go out. It’s something that’s very hard to achieve and we worked for it.”
