Matt Able will, in fact, withdraw from the NBA Draft and suit up for North Carolina next season, the rising sophomore’s family confirmed to Inside Carolina on Tuesday.

“I’ve decided to withdraw my name from the 2026 NBA Draft and continue my development at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,” Able said in an quote first provided to Marc Spears at ESPN. “Grateful for the feedback I received throughout this process and excited to be part of the Tar Heel family.”

Per an Inside Carolina source close to the situation, Able is expected to arrive in Chapel Hill on Tuesday.

Able’s announcement puts to rest any speculation that he would remain in next month’s NBA Draft and forgo his enrollment in Chapel Hill. The deadline for the decision was this Wednesday, May 27.

The decision comes after a strong performance by the NC State transfer in this month’s NBA Draft Combine, climbing as high as No. 33 in ESPN’s most recent mock draft.

At the combine, Able finished 11th among all prospects at the combine in spot-up shooting, going 17-for-25, while also finishing 25th in the three-point star drill after knocking down 13-of-25 attempts.

In his first five-on-five scrimmage, Able finished second on his team in scoring with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field, and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. In his second scrimmage, Able led his team in scoring with 17 points, shooting 6-for-16 from the field and 4-for-9 from three while adding four rebounds and an assist.

Last week, Able competed at the Life Sports Agency pro day in California, further showcasing his talents in front of NBA personnel. 

“College is awesome,” Able said after the workout. “There’s nothing to not like about college — the environment, the students, the fans, it’s awesome. N.C. State was amazing, the fans are awesome, and if I do come back, I’m sure UNC will be amazing as well.”

The 6-foot-6 wing entered the transfer portal while simultaneously testing the draft waters on April 6 before committing to the Tar Heels on April 21, ranked as the No. 31 overall player in the transfer portal by On3.

“My goal has been — since a kid — to make it to the NBA and stay in the NBA,” Able said of his decision to leave NC State and commit to UNC at the NBA Draft Combine’s media day. “So I feel like, for me, I was going with what I thought was the best destination, best situation to make me a pro, if I don’t go this year.

“And for me, it was Coach (Michael) Malone, and I had a lot of other really good options, but for me it was Coach Malone. Being an NBA champion, coaching greats like Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, being able to just be around those guys is just amazing. And I feel like he runs an NBA system and it’ll help me take my game to the next level if I don’t go this year.”

Across his freshman season with the Wolfpack, Able averaged 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game coming off the bench. In NC State’s win over UNC on Feb. 17, Able poured in a season-high 19 points, knocking down 5-of-7 attempts from beyond the arc while also grabbing six rebounds.

On the season, Able shot 41.6 percent from the field, 35.5 percent from three-point range, and finished in double figures 14 times.

Malone envisions an expanded role for the Raleigh transplant once he arrives in Chapel Hill, and to build off his promising freshman campaign. 

“They want him to be a shooting guard, a secondary ball handler, someone who can guard the ‘1’ through the ‘3’, and someone who should be on the floor quite a bit,” Able’s father, Doug, told Inside Carolina.

>>> Inside the Commitment: Matt Able’s Path to Chapel Hill

Coming out of Sagemont Prep (Fla.), Able was ranked as the No. 26 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting class according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, signing with the Wolfpack over offers from Alabama, Baylor, Stanford, Tennessee and Texas.

Able will join a North Carolina backcourt next season that includes returners Jaydon Young and Isaiah Denis, along with Utah transfer Terrence Brown, Virginia Tech transfer Neoklis Avdalas, and incoming freshman Malloy Smith. As with Able, Avdalas and Brown are officially listed by the NCAA as signed, while the program officially announced the addition of Avdalas on May 18.