Drake Powell will surprise fans of the UNC basketball program with his overall game
The second of the UNC basketball program's three incoming freshmen didn't have far to drive when his parents dropped him off. Cherice and Dedric Powell, both UNC graduates, could take less than half an hour if they left early enough.
Drake Powell, a McDonald's All-American, and 247Sports Composite 5-star recruit is about as under-the-radar as you can get with his pedigree. This could be because of all the hype attached to Ian Jackson (more on him later this week) or because Powell's recruitment (and therefore attention drawn) was so short. Powell committed to North Carolina less than a month after receiving an offer.
Now that he's here, it's time to see how head coach Hubert Davis incorporates him into the team. This will be the first squad without Armando Bacot manning the middle, so everything we've seen from a Hubert Davis team is about to change. Drake Powell will be a handy piece to put everything together.
Getting to Know Drake Powell
Class: Freshman
Position: Small Forward
Height: 6-foot-6
Hometown: Pittsboro, North Carolina
High School: Northwood High School
Ranking: No. 11 in the Class of 2024 (247Sports Composite)
What to Expect in 2024-2025
The UNC basketball program is set in the backcourt. You would need Superman and the Hulk pulling a rope tied around RJ Davis and Elliot Cadeau to get them out of the starting backcourt. Minutes as a guard will be hard to come by.
The frontcourt may be an easier pathway to see early minutes. As mentioned, this will be Hubert Davis's first squad without Armando Bacot, so now we will get to see a further evolution of his preferred playing style. We saw a glimpse of it with Brady Manek, so perhaps space and shooting will be a priority.
Rebounding will be at a premium, as North Carolina will no longer have a glass man who can gather all the boards for a smaller team. Powell, who stands at 6'6" and 195 lbs, will have an opportunity to prove his worth as a rebounder. If he can be a net positive in the rebounding category and defend his position, Drake Powell could earn heavy minutes.
Bold Prediction
Drake Powell will start a game before Ian Jackson does.
As I mentioned, Ian Jackson, who looked sharp in the Blue-White Scrimmage, is competing for minutes with RJ Davis and Elliot Cadeau. Jackson is going to elbow his way into the rotation, but as far as starting, Hubert Davis likely doesn't want to roll out a starting lineup with three backcourt members 6'4" and under. North Carolina is already undersized. There's no need to force them to win bad matchups with grit and determination when there's size available.
Another thing that works in Powell's favor is he's not ball dominant. All of the scouting reports indicate that Drake Powell doesn't need the ball in his hands to affect the game. He moves well without and the ball and can cut to the hoop really well. Does that sound like somebody who could succeed in an offense ran by Cadeau, and spaced by the threat of RJ Davis?
There's also buzz that he's the team's best one-on-one defender. North Carolina has a recent history of giving heavy minutes and a starting nod to players like that. Look back to Leaky Black and Jackie Manuel. One was a national champion and the other was an Armando Bacot ankle injury away from being one, as well. Starting a lockdown defender could be a key ingredient to Hubert Davis's new team formula.