Ty Lawson SELECTED BY: Timberwolves Round 1 (18) traded to Nuggets

SI Rank 7

BIOGRAPHY: One of the best players in college basketball last season, Lawson was the driving force behind North Carolina's fast-paced offense, earning ACC player of the year honors and leading the Tar Heels to a national championship. Perhaps more impressive than his 16.6 points, 6.6 assists and 53.2 percent shooting was his 3.48 assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranked third nationally. With the core of coach Roy Williams' team graduating or moving on, Lawson declared for the draft and hired an agent, and it will almost certainly result in a first-round selection for the point guard. Lawson is small, which may be a bigger factor on the defensive end, but with Chris Paul and Tony Parker leading a recent crop of successful NBA point guards under 6-foot-3 - and Lawson possessing uncommon quickness and ball-handling ability - that shouldn't scare away most teams. While he thinks to use his superior vision to find his teammates first, Lawson can also score when the situation calls for it, with equal ability to hit from the outside (47.2 percent from 3-point range in 2008-09) and get to the line (79.8 percent, 208 attempts). There may be some concerns about injuries, as he missed the entire ACC tournament and the Tar Heels' NCAA tournament opener with a toe problem after spending some time on the sidelines as a sophomore due to a sprained ankle. Still, there's too much upside and championship experience to ignore here, and Lawson may not make it out of the top 10. Expect him to push the pace and convert transition baskets for whichever NBA team gives him a chance.