Overview

Part of one of the premier freshman recruiting classes in college basketball, Wright joined fellow first-year starters Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson, along with sophomore sensation Tyler Hansbrough and senior Reyshawn Terry to lead the Tar Heels' to the 2007 NCAA Tournament East Regional Final.

Wright continued UNC's recent string of producing Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year products, following Hansbrough (2006) and Marvin Williams (2005). The Sporting News' Freshman All-American choice was the fifth freshman in ACC history to earn the league tournament MVP honors, joining UNC products Phil Ford (1975), Sam Perkins (1981) and Jerry Stackhouse (1994), and Duke's Jason Williams (2000).

Wright was a two-time prep Parade All-America selection, adding second-team USA Today All-American honors at Brentwood Academy. He played in the McDonald's All-Star Game, Jordan Classic and Nike Hoop Summit, earning Orlando Sentinel Southern Player of the Year and Tennessee's Division II Mr. Basketball accolades in 2004, 2005 and 2006, becoming the first three-time recipient at any level of Tennessee High School basketball.

In addition, Wright was a four-time MVP of the Tennessee Division II private Schoolstate championship tournament, leading the Brentwood Academy to four consecutive state titles, the first time in Tennessee High School basketball history that had been accomplished. He scored 2,662 career points, grabbed 1,200-plus rebounds and blocked nearly 600 shots.

As a senior, Wright averaged 22.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 5.1 blocks per game. He had four triple-doubles (points, rebounds and blocks or assists) and scored 30 or more points four times with a high of 35 vs. Shelbyville. He blocked 10 or more shots four times with a high of 16, leading Brentwood to a 34-2 record in 2006. He scored 24 points, 12 rebounds and posted 11 blocks in the 2006 state championship game win over Evangelical Christian Academy. As a junior, he averaged 20.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 4.4 blocks and had an average of 22.2 points, 11.4 rebounds and 5.1 blocks in 2004.

The 2007 ACC Tournament MVP, Wright also had a banner freshman season at North Carolina in 2006-07. He started all 37 games in which he played, seeing action at all three frontcourt positions. He missed the Arizona game in January with a stomach virus, but still managed to average 27.4 minutes of action per game. He led the ACC and ranked sixth in the nation by making 64.6 percent of his field goals (228 of 353), the sixth-best in Schoolhistory. That mark also set an ACC single-season freshman record.

Wright did not attempt a 3-point shot and connected on just 89 of 157 free throws (56.7 percent), but ranked second on the squad with 545 points, an average of 14.7 per game. He snatched 229 rebounds, ranking second on the Tar Heels with an average of 6.2 boards per game. He dished out 37 assists, as he turned the ball over 59 times and was charged with 55 fouls. He led the team with 65 blocked shots and ranked fourth on the squad with 36 steals.

In November, he recorded his first double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds in the loss to Gonzaga at Madison Square Garden, joining Tyler Hansbrough on the All-NIT team. An eagerly anticipated matchup vs. Ohio State (without Greg Oden) saw Wright play only six minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, but he scored 10 of his 11 points against the Buckeyes in the second half.

In December, Wright blocked a season-high four shots at Saint Louis. The following month, he had 16 points, nine rebounds and a season-high three steals in a win over Virginia. He also earned defensive player of the game honors for the first time in the win over Miami (Fla.), as he tied his season-high with four blocked shots, had two steals and helped limit the Canes to 64 points and 35-percent shooting from the floor.

In February, Wright led UNC with 19 points on 9 of 12 shooting in the win at Duke, scoring 11 points in the second half. He tied the game twice and hit a short baseline jumper with 4:40 to play that gave UNC a 64-60 lead. That month, he suffered a right shoulder bruise in practice prior to the Boston College game and was listed as questionable, but went out and made 6 of 7 shots from the floor and had 13 points and three blocks in a road win.

After the team's East Regional loss to Georgetown, Wright decided to enter the 2007 NBA Draft. When head coach Roy Williams heard back from several pro general managers that Wright was projected as a top-five pick, the freshman decided it was time to take his game to the next level.

"I was definitely torn in my decision," Wright said. "There are some many positives and negatives of me entering the draft and other guys entering the draft. I feel like the positives outweigh the negatives, especially when it comes when you have the opportunity to take care of your family at a young age like this.

"It's just hard to pass up," Wright stated. "Personal ly I feel like I can come to a {NBA} team and do a lot of good things. I'm going to work like crazy this summer to get ready for the rigors of a long 82-game season. I feel like I'll be ready next year. It should be fun."

Wright becomes the 15th player to leave the program early for the NBA draft, joining notables James Worthy, Michael Jordan, Jerry Stackhouse and Vince Carter.

Scouting Report

Positives: Long-limbed (7-foot-5 wingspan) athlete whose frame continues to add bulk and strength, having the potential to carry at least another 30 pounds without it losing overall fluidness and quickness...Very mobile, with the lateral quickness and long arms to get back and defend the basket...Knows how to use his frame and long limbs to generate a wide base and establish position in the low post...Versatility is one of his strong suits: he can play all three frontcourt positions and can score with his right or left hand...Good post passer who is best when shooting around the basket, displaying the soft touch to convert short jumpers and hook shots...Has very good quickness getting up and down the court and works hard to get position to grab the rebound and spark the transition game... Does a good job of slashing past the defender on the baseline and putting the ball in when facing the basket...Runs the floor well and has good court vision, making proper decisions against the double-team...Has a gliding stride that makes him very effective driving to the basket after hauling in the quick lob pass...Has the loose hips to move well without the ball and the large, natural hands to grab the ball fed to him in the post...Good rebounder and shot blocker, as he keeps his hands high and active, showing a quick move with his lean frame to slip under or over the opponent...Will generally score when he gets the offensive rebound...Has the natural feel to make the one-handed feed, especially when elevating off the floor and firing at the basket at the high point of his leap...Has the touch and feel to make shots from difficult angles...Has the speed to run the floor, especially on the fast break...Shows a nice jump hook and, with his wingspan, his shot is very tough to block...Shows very good touch to finish at the rim...Glides up and down the court fluidly and takes good angles to finish in and around the paint...Can knock down the jumper from the baseline or be creative coming off the dribble...Has the explosive step off the floor to finish bounce passes with a strong dunk...Conscious of timing his leaps to get up to the rim for the putbacks and works well with his guards in running the floor smoothly in transition...Has the natural hands to catch the lob pass and when he elevates, he shows a nice fingertip roll shifting the ball to his left hand for the score...Can sail over the smaller opponents when running down court for the easy scores.

Negatives: Has a developing frame, but needs to drastically increase his weight, bulk and strength to compete for the rebound at the next level...Gets bounced around some after initial contact due to inadequate upper-body power...Has good touch scoring underneath, but lacks confidence in his long-range ability (never attempted a 3-pointer in college) and would much rather pass than shoot at the perimeter...Most of his problems scoring outside the paint result from his struggles putting the ball on the floor...Needs to generate better arc and elevation shooting from the outside...Has an orthodox release (too much motion and spin) that leads to shaky foul shooting...Works hard to maintain position under the basket, but when pushed out of the paint, he struggles to recover...Best when facing the basket while shooting, as his back-to-the-basket skills need refinement...Still needs to improve his stamina, as he will disappear for stretches in the second half, especially when matched up vs. physical opponents...Must be more aggressive in maintaining position to stop the backdoor cuts he generally allows...While he shot nearly 65 percent from the field, those numbers don't tell the real story, as he was never asked to take the ball and shoot from the perimeter, with most of his shots coming inside the paint...At times, he is effortless in his play and you would like to see more intensity in his game...Until he develops more bulk and strength, he will have to play small forward at the next level, but could grow into a power forward or center by the time his frame matures.

Compares To: CHRIS BOSH, Toronto. While his back-to-the-basket skills need refinement and he needs to gain confidence in his outside shot, Wright has excellent athletic ability, quickness and elevation in his game. He runs the court like a small forward and will probably play there while his body develops. He is a very accurate shooter in and around the paint, but his perimeter shooting and free-throw shooting are still a work in progress. He could have used another year of school, but the team's second-best player, Tyler Hansbrough, is a far better prospect.

High School

Attended Brentwood (Nashville, Tenn.) Academy, playing basketball for head coach George Pitts...Two-time prep Parade All-America selection, adding second-team USA Today All-American honors...Played in McDonald's All-Star Game, Jordan Classic and Nike Hoop Summit, earning Orlando Sentinel Southern Player of the Year and Tennessee's Division II Mr. Basketball accolades in 2004, 2005 and 2006, becoming the first three-time recipient at any level of Tennessee High School basketball...Four-time Most Valuable Player of the Tennessee Division II private Schoolstate championship tournament, leading the academy to four consecutive state titles, the first time in Tennessee High School basketball history that was accomplished...Scored 2,662 career points, grabbed 1,200-plus rebounds and blocked nearly 600 shots...As a senior, Wright averaged 22.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 5.1 blocks per game...Had four triple-doubles (points, rebounds and blocks) and scored 30 or more points four times with a high of 35 in the season opener vs. Shelbyville...Blocked 10 or more shots four times with a high of 16, leading Brentwood to a 34-2 record in 2006...Scored 24 points, 12 rebounds and 11 blocks in the 2006 state championship game win over Evangelical Christian Academy...As a junior, he averaged 20.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 4.4 blocks and had an average of 22.2 points, 11.4 rebounds and 5.1 blocks in 2004...As a junior, he served as the sixth man for the South squad which won gold at the USA Basketball Youth Festival...Attended Nike Camp that year and led Brentwood to a 29-3 record and its third-straight state title...One of the top sophomores at the Nike All-American Camp, he was named Division II Player of the Year and Mr. Basketball, averaging 22.2 points, 11.4 rebounds and 5.1 blocked shots...As a freshman, Wright led his Schoolto their first ever state championship and was MVP of the state tournament.

Personal

Undeclared major...Son of Tamiko Wright and Terry Peoples...Born Brandan Keith Wright on 10/05/87 in Nashville, Tennessee.

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