The former UNC basketball forward is seeing a rise in draft stock

The North Carolina Tar Heels desperately needed a rebound season last year and had to enter the transfer portal to make it happen.

North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis was a frontrunner in the transfer portal last offseason, securing two starters for his roster in Cormac Ryan and Harrison Ingram. The latter, who started as a power forward, enjoyed his best collegiate season, shooting a career-high 43 percent from deep and regularly posting double-doubles.

The chance of Ingram coming back is VERY slim, but he is currently at the NBA Draft Combine, showcasing his skills and awaiting the decision on whether he should go pro or return to UNC.

Ingram has a good chance of being selected if he remains in the NBA Draft, as he goes No. 34 overall to the Portland Trail Blazers in ESPN's latest mock draft.

If Ingram chooses not to return to Chapel Hill and the Blazers end up selecting him, he would join a young roster led by Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant and DeAndre Ayton. I expect Ingram to be a backup forward or power forward in this situation, behind Grant or Shaedon Sharpe.

In this scenario, I also envision Jae'Lyn Withers starting at power forward in the fall.

If Ingram withdraws his name from the NBA Draft and returns to Chapel Hill, he would reclaim his spot in the top four and complete an impressive one-two punch against RJ Davis. Ingram's return would almost certainly make the Tar Heels a national title favorite.

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The story originally appeared on Tarheels Wire