Analysts believe this UNC basketball recruit could reach top 3 in 2024 rankings

A five-star UNC basketball commit could move into the top 3 of the 2024 recruiting rankings per analysts after the Nike Peach Jam.

One Drake has already made his mark on the University of North Carolina: Quarterback Drake Maye is set for his second season as a starter. Now, another Drake is gaining headlines before he steps foot on campus.

Five-star recruit Drake Powell committed to North Carolina in September 2022. At that time, Powell was a four-star recruit. But he has elevated his game and earned a fifth star. Powell had a fantastic junior season and is standing out on the AAU circuit. He has climbed all the way to No. 9 on the 247Sports rankings and another rise could be looming.

In a recent podcast on 247Sports, Adam Finkelstein, Travis Branham and Eric Bossi discussed the Peach Jam and which prospects improved their stock during the event. Powell was mentioned in the segment with some praise:

“I think it’s pretty clearly Drake Powell,” Bossi said. “I don’t think this is a hot take, because he’s a guy we already moved into the national top 10. But when we did so, we discussed how the production didn’t match the tools yet or we would have ranked him higher. Well guess what? The production is matching the tools now. Man is he something special. … Me, personally, I think you can make a strong argument for Drake Powell in the top three for the class of 2024 at this point.”

That’s a strong statement from a respected national recruiting analyst in Bossi. But he wasn’t the only one who mentioned it.

Branham agreed.

“He’s definitely in the top three conversation for me,” Branham said. “He’s absolutely in the top five on my personal board, and he has been for a good part of close to six months at this point.”

That’s certainly great news for North Carolina who locked up a commitment from the in-state prospect early. With Powell’s rise, it means UNC could have two players in the top five or potentially top three depending on what Ian Jackson does from now until next year.

You can watch the full interview below:

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