Drake Powell didn't post flashy offensive numbers as a freshman at North Carolina, but his intangibles, measurables and potential landed him a spot in the NBA after one season of college.
Powell was selected 22nd overall to the Brooklyn Nets in last week's NBA Draft, making him UNC's first first-round selection since Day'Ron Sharpe in 2021, and the program's 55th such selection overall. Sharpe recently re-signed with the Nets after spending his first four years with the team. Powell and the Nets' other rookies spoke at a press conference on Tuesday to local reporters in attendance.
Powell received a question about his time at North Carolina and how his usage declined compared to his days at Northwood High School, and Powell spoke to that adjustment.
"I'd say it really just switched my mentality a little bit," Powell said. "My usage rate, it dropped a lot once I got to North Carolina, but I was still playing heavy minutes and being able to help the team be successful. I really could have just sulked and complained to the coaches, but what does that get done? That was really the way I thought. And so I just accepted the role that I was given with open arms, and I just wanted to be able to play to the best of my ability to help the team be successful."
As a Tar Heel, Powell recorded averages of 7.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 48.3% from the field, 37.9% from three and 64.8% from the free throw line. He was third on the team in 3-point percentage this season. Hubert Davis altered the lineup combinations throughout the season, resulting in Powell starting in 24 of his 37 appearances and playing 25.6 minutes per game. He started in the last 11 games of the season.
At Northwood, Powell was a do-it-all prospect who often had the ball in his hands. He averaged 18.1 points and 4.2 assists per game across his junior and senior seasons of high school while shooting 57% from the field and 39.5% from three, according to MaxPreps. He led the Chargers in scoring in three of his four seasons. With North Carolina, though, Powell was fifth on the team in shots per game and sixth in scoring.
While he was efficient with his shot and a reliable outside shooter, Powell was not a big scorer his freshman year at North Carolina. He finished the year with 10 double-figure scoring games and he attempted seven or more shots in 11 of the team's 37 games. He scored a career-high 18 points against Michigan State in Maui back in November, and his ACC-high was a 17-point effort against SMU.
Defensive versatility became Powell's calling card, as he won the team's defensive player of the year award.
"I feel like my defense, that's mainly pride," Powell said on Tuesday. "That's something that I've had since growing up at a young age, playing with my older brother and older cousin. That's something I've always taken pride in. I think I can make an immediate impact to help this team be successful and do whatever I can to (play) to the best of my ability."
Powell impressed with his combine numbers, with the best no-step vertical leap (37½ inches) and max (or running) vertical leap (43 inches). He also finished fourth in the three-quarter-court sprint (3.07 seconds), seventh in the shuttle run (2.79 seconds) and seventh in the pro lane drill (10.71 seconds).
"The Carolina basketball family is so happy and thrilled for Drake and his family," Davis said in a statement after Powell was drafted last week. "Drake was a dream to coach, and this is just the start of a long and successful NBA career. The Brooklyn Nets are getting an elite player, who makes winning plays consistently on both ends of the floor, in addition to being a wonderful young man."
The Brooklyn Nets finished the 2024-25 season with a 26-56 record and missed the playoffs for the second straight season. They recently traded former Tar Heel Cam Johnson to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Michael Porter Jr. Powell was one of the Nets' five first-round selections, along with lottery pick Egor Demin, Nolan Traoré, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf.
Powell said he leaned on UNC's veteran players in his lone year with the team. He was asked on Tuesday how playing at North Carolina helped prepare him for the NBA, and he said the importance of a daily work ethic was one of the lessons he picked up on.
"The preparation, everyday type preparation," Powell said. "I think that was something that I struggled with going in, but I had to continue to put trust in a lot of my vets. Seth Trimble, RJ Davis, Jalen Washington, guys like that. I just tried to shadow them a little bit, see how they operated."