The UNC basketball program features a whole new look this upcoming season, as the roster is set to welcome in a slew of transfers who are expected to make an immediate impact.
One of those transfers is Jonathan Powell, one of the most intriguing additions Hubert Davis and his staff made this offseason. The 6-foot-6, 190-pounder from Centerville, Ohio is coming off a strong freshman season at West Virginia, but is now striving to help the UNC basketball program win games this upcoming season.
Prior to North Carolina
As a high school senior, Powell averaged 19.7 points per game, earning Ohio Division I Player of the Year honors. He earned the reputation as an above-average shooter, knocking down nearly 40% of his three-point attempts during his final two seasons at the high school ranks.
Powell wasted no time making an impact at the college ranks, working his way into the starting lineup for the final 23 games of the 2024-2025 season. He averaged 8.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in just over 30 minutes per-contest, finishing second on the team in three pointers made (64).
While scoring in double-figures on 15 occasions, Powell also was very good with the basketball in his hands. Over 963 minutes played, Powell turned the ball over only 18 times, which is especially impressive considering he was playing as a true freshman (when mistakes are essentially expected to occur).
What to Expect in 2025-2026
Powell has the ability to be that "Swiss Army Knife" that teams love to have at their disposal.
While he might not be a starter on this year's team, he will be on the floor quite a bit. With his size and positional versatility, he provides Hubert Davis with multiple options on how he can utilize him, as his playing time will ultimately come down to whether or not he can knock down shots.
This guy knocked down 35.2% of his attempts from beyond-the-arc on a West Virginia team that didn't shoot the ball well from deep as a whole (which limited floor spacing opportunities). On a team that features a handful of capable shooters, you'd have to imagine that Powell should be in line for more open looks, especially when teams decide to focus on slowing down some of his teammates.
Bold Prediction
Powell will serve essentially as the sixth man off the bench, and will start a few games for this year's squad.
That's not our bold prediction, though. In fact, we think Powell is going to light it up from beyond-the-arc, raising his three-point shooting percentage almost 3% to 38% this season.