UNC Basketball commit ranked among best perimeter defenders

Future UNC basketball player and 2024 commit Drake Powell has been ranked as one of the top ten perimeter defenders in his recruiting class.

Hubert Davis and the UNC basketball program are working towards landing top talent on the recruiting trail. This is evident in the recent commitment of Drake Powell.

Not only did the Tar Heels receive a commitment from Powell early in his recruitment, they did it while he was ranked as the No. 58 player.

Since then, he has been rising among the recruiting rankings very quickly, reaching as high as No. 9 at one point in the 247Sports rankings. He is currently ranked No. 10 overall in his class by 247Sports.

Jamie Shaw with On3 ranked Powell among his top ten perimeter defenders in the 2024 recruiting class this past week.

This is what Shaw had to comment about Powell’s defensive abilities:

"Had it not been for Cooper Flagg reclassifying into the 2024 class, Drake Powell would have claimed the top spot in this category. Quite simply, Powell is that dude on the defensive end. While his counting numbers might not be that of Flagg’s, Powell’s ability to hold each of his opponents well below their averages is a testament to what he is capable of."

Tar Heel fans will be excited to see Powell compete on both ends of the court, and while everyone loves scoring and offensive playmakers, it can’t be underestimated how important having a lockdown defender on the perimeter can be. Just ask any Carolina fan how relieving it has been to have Leaky Black guarding the opponents’ best player night in and night out for the last five years.

Powell was ranked No. 25 by On3 last week in their release of the top 150 players in the Class of 2024.

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