Tag: Drake Powell

USA TODAY Sports NBA mock draft has UNC basketball players in first round

Could two UNC basketball standouts go first round in the 2025 NBA Draft?

The North Carolina Tar Heels appear to finally be finding their groove on the basketball court, winning their past three games and leading Cal by 10 at halftime of Wednesday’s ACC battle.

Hubert Davis found a rotation that finally works for UNC, led by high-scoring production from Ian Jackson. Jalen Washington is proving why he’s North Carolina’s best option at center, while team defense is significantly improved from non-conference play in December.

The Tar Heels still have a long way to go in proving itself as an NCAA Tournament threat, but regardless of how they end the season, two of their young stars are projected to play in the NBA.

In USA TODAY Sports’s latest NBA Mock Draft, Drake Powell will go 15th overall and Jackson will go 26th overall.

Powell, known primarily for his defense, is averaging 7.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Powell is shooting an efficient 48.9 percent from the field – and already has a pair of double-digit scoring outings in ACC play.

Jackson is turning into a superstar before our eyes, averaging 15.4 points per game on a 50.9 field goal percentage. Jackson initially entered the starting lineup when Seth Trimble missed time with an injury, but his hot play forced Hubert to keep him in the lineup.

I hope Jackson and Powell continue playing well enough to get serious NBA Draft consideration, but selfishly, I also hope they stay in Chapel Hill. UNC is set if its current star freshman duo does leave, though, thanks to 2025 combo guards Isaiah Denis and Derek Dixon.

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Two UNC basketball players land in first round of NBA mock draft

Which UNC basketball players are being projected to go in the first round of the 2025 NBA draft?

The North Carolina Tar Heels are fresh off a win on the road against NC State, thanks to Jalen Washington’s late-game heroics. After a 1-1 start in ACC play, UNC is now 4-1 and hoping to work their way off the bubble.

But as we await what the future holds this season for the team, two players are drawing some interest in terms of an NBA mock draft.

In ESPN’s latest mock draft from Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, two North Carolina players are featured in the first round. And they are both freshmen.

Drake Powell leads the way as he is mocked to go No. 15 overall to the San Antonio Spurs via a pick from Atlanta. Here is what they said about the talented forward:

The Spurs could use a big perimeter defender and might address that with this selection, making Powell an interesting potential fit. Powell is one of the more versatile defenders in this draft class, with the frame, strength and instincts to cover several positions adequately from the wing. Though that hasn’t manifested in steals and blocks, his motor and value are obvious, earning him a big role at North Carolina despite his offense needing work.

Powell isn’t a major threat playing on the ball and will have to knock down 3-pointers (he’s shooting 35% from 3) to carve out a meaningful place in the NBA. His confidence has been up and down this season, but there are positive ingredients for a likely 3-and-D role, presuming his shot comes around. — Woo

Not far behind Powell is teammate Ian Jackson who is on a historic run for North Carolina. He’s been mocked at No. 24 to the Orlando Magic in a pick from the Denver Nuggets.

Orlando’s second first-round pick, by way of Denver, could be an opportunity to add backcourt depth. Jackson has hit his stride over the past couple of weeks, scoring 20-plus points in four of his previous five games and showcasing his competitiveness and instincts by creating for himself. He has been fairly efficient in the process, establishing himself as a prospect for NBA teams to track over the next couple of months.

His game also has considerable holes — he can get too isolation-heavy at times, he’s a limited playmaker (5.6% assist rate) and he’s made minimal impact defensively. Coupled with his below-average size at 6-4 and narrow frame for a 2-guard, Jackson will need time to evolve into more than just a scorer to carve out a meaningful niche in the NBA. But he has helped himself with his recent performances, and continuing to showcase his strengths will bolster his case in this range of the draft. — Woo

These mock drafts will obviously change between now and June but it’s good to see two players being mentioned in these mock drafts.

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The unlikely Tar Heels hero that “opened the game up” against SMU

With Ian Jackson and RJ Davis getting the spotlight, this unsung hero stepped up in a BIG way against SMU!

First half’s have been the downfall of UNC basketball this entire season. For the most part, they have barely held a lead in the first 20 minutes outside of games against Campbell, American, and Elon.

However, on Tuesday night, things looked different. The Tar Heels brought the same energy that ended the Notre Dame game into this SMU game.

The first half of this game was different. North Carolina jumped out to a lead and kept that lead. At the time the team’s lead reached double digits in the first half, it was 20-10 with just over eight minutes played.

Drake Powell had eight of the team’s 20 points, including 2-for-2 from deep and 3-for-4 from the floor. Powell would go on to score 17 points, hitting four threes, in a career-high night for the freshman guard.

Hubert Davis praised Powell’s performance against SMU and his explosiveness in the first half that propelled the team forward.

The shots that Drake took, or shots that I see him work on all the time, and the shots that he takes in practice, and I want him to have the confidence to be able to step up and knock him down. And he gave us a huge lift at the beginning of the game. SMU started off in a zone, and then it would morph into a man and so it took us a while to get to a rhythm in terms of what we’re trying to run on the offensive end. And Drake, his 3s in the first half really opened things up for us and gave us the confidence to be able to execute on the offensive end.

With Powell playing at this level and Ian Jackson stepping up, North Carolina now has legitimate go-to scorers on offense at any moment. They will pick back up on Saturday on the road against NC State.

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UNC dominates SMU in ACC basketball tilt behind strong first half

UNC outplayed SMU in virtually every aspect during a big ACC basketball win Tuesday night.

Throughout their college basketball season, the North Carolina Tar Heels have largely struggled to do two things: play solid defense and good basketball in the first half.

On Tuesday night against SMU in a late-night ACC basketball batle, UNC turned in its best defensive performance of the year and – for the second-consecutive game – trotted into halftime with a lead.

North Carolina outscored SMU by 15 in the first half, never trailing en route to an impressive, 82-67 win.

It became apparent pretty quickly that the Tar Heels (10-6, 3-1 ACC), who struggle to find a defensive identity from game-to-game, were going to decide tonight’s outcome with their defense.

UNC limited the visiting Mustangs (11-4, 2-2) to a 33.3 percent (23-of-69) mark from the field. SMU missed plenty of looks from deep in the paint – and North Carolina prevented second-chance points by boxing out. Ven-Allen Lubin and Jalen Washington won their battles against the 7’2″ Samet Yigitoglu. The Mustangs fared even worse from deep, shooting just 22.2% against a Tar Heels lineup that returned Seth Trimble.

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UNC continued shooting the ball well, recording a 47.4 field goal percentage as a team. Most surprising about North Carolina’s win, perhaps, was its ability to make 50 percent (11-of-11) of its 3-pointers .

RJ Davis led all scorers with 26 points, his third 20-point outing in six games. Drake Powell, known more for his defense, started the Tar Heel scoring party with a 14-point first half.

UNC still has a long way to go in proving itself as an ACC contender, but Tuesday’s result was the outcome we yearned for all season. North Carolina has all the pieces to play a winning brand of basketball – and beating SMU comfortably goes a long way towards proving that.

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Drake Powell getting first career start against Alabama

UNC’s starting lineup will look a little different against Alabama.

The North Carolina Tar Heels will have a slight change to their starting lineup against Alabama tonight, as freshman Drake Powell will be starting in the place of Jae’Lyn Withers.

Powell has played phenomenal basketball through seven games in his freshman season, including a solid run through the Maui Invitational. He scored a career-high 18 points against Michigan State on 7-of-9 shooting, including a 4-of-6 mark from deep.

Powell has averages of 6.3 points, 3.7 points and 0.7 assists per game, but even when he’s not contributing on the stat sheet, Powell is finding ways to impact the game. He’s a phenomenal defender who hustles after every ball, can deliver some soul-snatching blocks (watch American highlights) and has the ability to make shots from anywhere, whether a highlight-reel dunk or a clutch 3-pointer.

UNC went just 1-2 in the Maui Invitational: coming back to beat Dayton in its opener, before getting blown out by Auburn and losing in overtime to Michigan State. North Carolina is still trying to discover its best lineups – and it got a glimpse of how special Powell can be in the MSU loss.

The Tar Heels brought Powell off the bench in their first six games, when they rolled with a starting lineup of Withers, RJ Davis, Elliot Cadeau, Seth Trimble and Jalen Washington. Withers has played solid basketball in his first year as a starter, averaging 7.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, but Powell has played better.

What a big moment for Powell, who gets his first start just 20 minutes up the road from where he played high school ball.

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Drake Powell’s offensive breakout Wednesday proved he is THE guy for UNC basketball

We knew about Drake Powell’s defense. On Wednesday night against Michigan State, we learned the offensive side of Powell’s game.

When seemingly nothing could go right for the North Carolina Tar Heels on Wednesday night, as they lost 94-91 to Michigan State in the Maui Invitational’s Third Place game, Drake Powell rose to the occasion.

Powell, UNC’s star freshman who played high school ball just 20 minutes south of the Dean Dome, set two career-highs in just his seventh collegiate game.

In the 33 minutes head coach Hubert Davis gave Powell off the bench, Powell scored 18 points – on 7-of-9 shooting and a 4-of-6 mark from the perimeter. Powell has the 3-pointer in his arsenal, but he’s been able to rely on his defense and ability to drive the line – until Wednesday.

Seemingly anytime Powell got the basketball in his hand, he was scoring or making the next pass to points. Powell only had one rebound, assist and block apiece, so Wednesday was a clear sign that 99 percent of Powell’s statistical contributions came offensively.

We witnessed flashes of Powell’s talent in North Carolina’s first six games, but Wednesday brought out the true, 5-star McDonalds All-American who Hubert recruited.

Powell wasn’t the only freshman with a big game against MSU, as fellow McDonalds All-American Ian Jackson added 14 points off the bench.

Coming into Wednesday, Powell had just 26 points in his first six games. What Powell didn’t generate in the scoring department those outings, he generated on the boards (25 rebounds, including career-best 11 against American).

It’s still super-early in the season, which means the Tar Heels have plenty of time, to discover the lineup combinations that work best for them.

There’s one thing I do know, though: I would be shocked if  Powell isn’t starting for UNC on Wednesday, Dec. 4 against Alabama.

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UNC basketball maintains Top 10 ranking in Andy Katz’ NEW Power 37 rankings

Andy Katz gave the Tar Heels a good spot in his latest Power 37 rankings.

We’re only three weeks into the 2024-2025 college basketball season, but we’re slowly starting to see several teams shape their identity.

I’ve already watched Kansas prove itself as a continued powerhouse, while Arizona might not be as good as we thought. Duke is one of the most talented teams on paper, but its achilles heel every year – experience – cost it a chance at beating Kentucky.

I can’t formulate too much of an opinion about our North Carolina Tar Heels, but I can tell you they’re exciting to watch. UNC is 2-1 through three games, looking its strongest against American and showing some initial concern against Elon.

Ahead of the stacked Maui Invitational, which begins on Monday, Nov. 25, North Carolina landed 10th in Andy Katz’ latest Power 37 rankings. These groupings are new to the 2024-2025 season, with Katz utilizing the Power 36 a season ago.

The Tar Heels found themselves trailing Iowa State (ninth), Alabama (eighth), Purdue (seventh), Duke (sixth), Kentucky (fifth), Auburn (fourth), UConn (third), Gonzaga (second) and Kansas (first).

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When Armando Bacot, Cormac Ryan and Harrison Ingram left UNC in the offseason, I’ll admit I had some initial concerns about the team’s depth – and veteran leadership.

Through three games, North Carolina has quickly showcased additional depth and new leaders – both from the transfer portal and amongst returners.

Elliot Cadeau has stepped up alongside reining ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis, giving the Tar Heels one of the country’s most dangerous backcourt duos. Drake Powell might be the best defensive player on the roster, while Seth Trimble added an offensive arsenal to his bag.

Jae’Lyn Withers and Jalen Washington are thriving in their first year as starters. Belmont tranfser Cade Tyson is starting to look more comfortable, while Ven-Allen Lubin is that productive, long-overdue big man off the bench.

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Drake Powell’s defensive energy sets tone in UNC’s Friday night blowout victory

The Tar Heels are lucky to have a player of Drake Powell’s defensive talent. He showed out on Friday night.

Seemingly everything was clicking for the North Carolina Tar Heels on Friday night, as they obliterated American University, 107-55, in front of a raucous Dean Dome crowd.

UNC (2-1) only led by nine at halftime, then outscored the visiting Eagles (1-3) 64-21 in the second half. North Carolina held American to just 14.7 percent shooting in the final 20 minutes, the lowest in a half by an opponent in the Hubert Davis era.

Throughout the whole game, but particularly in the second half, there was one player in particular who captained the Tar Heels’ defensive effort: freshman Drake Powell.

Playing in just his second home game for UNC, 20 minutes up the road from his hometown in Pittsboro, Powell led all players with 11 rebounds.

“I think rebounding is a fun part of the game for me,” Powell said. “I’m just trying to do it more consistently. Just feeling my whole game. I was just trying to play with a chip on my shoulder as well, crashing the boards with enthusiasm.”

There wasn’t a single person who was happier about Powell’s effort than his head coach, Hubert Davis.

“You can use him in a number of different spots on both ends of the floor,” Davis said of Powell. “He does stuff that we didn’t teach him in drills, wasn’t in any station. His one block, that’s the second time he’s done a block where he’s caught it with both hands. Last time I can remember that was MJ doing that, when we played together with the Wizards. Drake’s just starting to scratch the surface of what he can do out there on the floor.”

Powell also blocked a game-high three shots and added seven points, hitting 2-of-5 shots and 3-of-4 free throws.

North Carolina is very lucky to have a player of Powell’s caliber. If Powell can turn in this defensive effort on a nightly basis, the college basketball world needs to watch out.

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Two Tar Heels land in ESPN 2025 NBA mock draft

Which two UNC basketball players are being mocked in the ESPN 2025 NBA draft.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are two games into their 2024-25 season and have a 1-1 record after beating Elon and then losing a close game at No. 1 Kansas a few days later.

While it’s still early in the season, the expectations are still high for the Tar Heels as they hope to repeat as Atlantic Coast Conference regular season champions. And if they want to do that, a big freshman duo will have to play at a high level.

As part of North Carolina’s 2024 recruiting class, the Tar Heels landed two five-star recruits in Drake Powell and Ian Jackson. The duo have earned early minutes this season and now they are drawing some hype in terms of the 2025 NBA draft.

In Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo’s updated mock draft on ESPN, they projected all 30 first-round picks. Only one North Carolina player landed in that top 30, with Drake Powell going to San Antonio (via Chicago) at No. 11 overall. Here is what they said about Powell:

Powell isn’t playing a featured role on a North Carolina team that is driven heavily by the guard trio of Elliot Cadeau, Seth Trimble and RJ Davis — Powell has just seven points in his first two games — but his role should remain significant enough to highlight his strengths. He’s an excellent perimeter defender with great agility and length who can score and make plays in transition. Scouts will want to see him find ways to chip in and carve out a niche without heavy touches, including taking the open 3s that are presented to him, which he has looked reluctant to do at this point.

Powell isn’t a dynamic shot creator or consistent perimeter shooter, and his ability to space the floor will be paramount in the long run. We’ll see what type of season he puts together on one of college basketball’s top teams and whether he can propel himself into the lottery. — 

While Powell was the only Tar Heel in the first round, his teammate Ian Jackson was also listed but at No. 31.

He was mocked to go as the first pick in the second round.

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Hubert Davis praises rebounding from freshmen in first game

How did Ian Jackson and Drake Powell fare in their first collegiate basketball game?

The North Carolina Tar Heels barely avoided a massive upset in their 2024-2025 college basketball opener, thanks to their top returners and some needed defense late.

RJ Davis showed why he is the country’s best player, draining the tying jumper and, moments later, giving UNC the lead for good on one of his three 3-pointers. To no one’s surprise, Davis led all scorers with 24 points.

One of North Carolina’s key storylines entering the season was how much playing time their star freshmen: Drake Powell, Ian Jackson and James Brown, would get. Preseason predictions had Jackson in the starting lineup, with Powell playing plentiful minutes off the bench.

In Monday’s victory against Elon, Powell and Jackson didn’t have a massive impact on the scoresheet. They did, however, impress head coach Hubert Davis in their collegiate debut.

“I thought they did some really good things, both Ian and Drake,” Hubert said in the postgame press conference. “You know, one of the things that they just keep getting better every practice and every game. One of the things that I think people lose sight of is just to transition from high school to this level is real. And so you can be a McDonald’s All-American and still playing at this level, it takes time. I really love how they have bought in defensively. They do a good job, not particularly on the stat sheet, but they do a really good job of rebounding the basketball. And then on the offensive end, they can create, make shots, and so they’re going to play a ton of minutes this year. We need them to step up and be big. And I’m so glad that they’re here.”

Both Powell and Jackson came off the bench, with Powell seeing 17 minutes of action and Jackson seeing just 12.

Powell scored five points (2-of-8 shooting), recorded two rebounds, dished out two assists, stole the ball once and blocked a shot. Jackson also scored five points (2-of-7), plus he recorded a singular rebound.

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