UNC Basketball: Drake Powell among Peach Jam standouts

Through two days at the annual Peach Jam tournament, UNC basketball commit Drake Powell has been one of the standouts at the event.

The annual EYBL Peach Jam tournament is underway, and a UNC basketball commit has made plenty of headlines throughout the first two days of the event.

Drake Powell, the No. 9 ranked prospect in the Class of 2024 according to 247Sports, has put together some strong performances early on in the tournament.

After Day 1, Jamie Shaw of On3 named the five-star forward one of the top performers of the day. Here is Shaw’s take on Powell’s Day 1 performance:

"Drake Powell is considered one of the better connecting pieces in the 2024 class. For starters, the 6-foot-6 wing, who is committed to North Carolina, is a premier perimeter defender. He uses his long arms and quick anticipation to both guard the ball and aggressively get in the passing lanes.He is also a capable ball handler in the half-court. Powell is a quick processor, and while he is not a paint-touch type, he delivers good reads and can make plays in the pick-and-roll. The game-changer today for Powell was the shooting. A sub-20 percent three-point shooter on the year, he finished 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and 7-for-10 from the field in this one.Winning things seem to follow Powell around, and his 20 points today helped Team CP3 get a 22-point win."

Shaw went on to mention the future Tar Heel as a Day 2 notable player, noting his ability to let the game come to him.

"Four-star SF Drake Powell (CP3) did a good job playing within himself and letting the flow come to him. The UNC commit has been money with his two-dribble pull-up, going either way, getting himself into his comfortable mid-range game. Powell finished with 16 points on 6-for-11 from the field."

We’ve heard plenty about Powell’s size and athleticism, especially on the defensive side of the ball, but it’s a great size to see the Pittsboro, North Carolina native’s offensive came improving as well. He’s a player that makes winning plays, as he’ll be a lethal weapon to deal with in Chapel Hill if he can score the basketball consistently.

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