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MILWAUKEE — A pair of highly touted Tar Heels will soon have pro-level decisions to make with North Carolina's season now over.
Ian Jackson and Drake Powell, the team's two five-star recruits from the Class of 2024, are both eligible for the 2025 NBA Draft. Neither player indicated if they were leaning one way or the other when asked after Friday's loss. Both said that night that they hadn't thought about their next steps. Jackson and Powell ranked as top-11 prospects on 247Sports' prospect board in the Class of 2024.
Jackson, who joined the team from Bronx (N.Y.) Our Saviour Lutheran, projects as a late-first round to second round pick on mock drafts from ESPN, CBS and Bleacher Report. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman cited Jackson's scoring spark and driving ability as his assets but added that his streaky shooting and lack of playmaking are concerns in his game.
Jackson spoke about the adjustments he made as a freshman this season and talked about how he felt he grew as a player.
"I learned a lot," Jackson said. "I learned things aren't always going to go your way. Things aren't always gonna be great. I feel like this year, I played a different role than I'm used to playing, which is great for me. I had a chance to evolve in a different way and kind of experience something different on the basketball court, which was amazing."
Powell joined North Carolina from Pittsboro (N.C.) Northwood. Mock drafts from ESPN and CBS both list Powell as a late-first round pick, but Bleacher Report did not list him in its two-round projection. CBS' Kyle Boone described Powell as a player with the right tools to be an effective defender in the NBA, and he also highlighted Powell's ability to make open shots.
Powell said he doesn't look at draft boards and tried not to pay attention to them this season.
"I'll definitely have to chat with my circle, the people that know me the most and my coaches as well," Powell said on Friday. "Obviously, it's a big decision to make."
Jackson and Powell, along with any other Tar Heel looking to pursue the NBA, can submit their name to the NBA's Undergraduate Advisory Committee (UAC). The UAC gives players feedback and evaluations from NBA teams regarding their draft stock.
(Photo: Jim Hawkins/Inside Carolina, 247Sports)
Jackson was named to the ACC All-Freshman team before the start of the ACC Tournament. He averaged 11.9 points per game (second on the team) and 2.7 rebounds in 36 games while shooting 45.6% from the field, 39.5% from three and 72.3% from the free throw line. He started in 12 games, all consecutive, and in those starts, Jackson averaged 15.3 points.
Throughout the season, Jackson's scoring input went up and down. He soared with a seven-game stretch that saw him average 22.7 points per game on 54.4% shooting from the field and 41.3% shooting from three, but that run was followed soon after by a seven-game stretch in which he only averaged 7.4 points per game on 30.5% shooting from the field and 19.2% shooting from 3-point range.
After a steadier ship to close the regular season, Jackson struggled with his shot at the very end of the year. In the team's five postseason games — three in the ACC Tournament and two in the NCAA Tournament — he shot 21.4% from three and scored just 17 total points. He was held without a field goal in two of those games.
Powell averaged 7.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists as a freshman for North Carolina, making starts in 24 of his 37 appearances. Powell shot 48.3% from the field, 37.9% from three and 64.8% from the free throw line.
Powell started in UNC's final 11 games when Hubert Davis made the switch to play bigger. The change allowed him to play on the wing often as he often slotted at power forward due to his defensive versatility.
While he was efficient with his shot and a reliable outside shooter, Powell never emerged as a big-time scorer his freshman year. 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.
Jackson and Powell were second and third on the team, respectively, in 3-point percentage among players who took at least one three per game.
The transfer portal opens up on Monday as the Tar Heels will look to rearrange their roster for the 2025-26 season. The portal closes on April 22. RJ Davis, Jae'Lyn Withers and Ty Claude are the known departures due to their expired eligibility, and the team is slated to bring in freshmen Caleb Wilson, Isaiah Denis and Derek Dixon, but nothing is certain beyond that.
North Carolina extended Hubert Davis with a five-year deal back in December, and it added Jim Tanner as the team's general manager to help with roster management efforts.
UNC finished the season with a 23-14 record. After sneaking into the NCAA Tournament and winning its First Four game against San Diego State, the team lost to Ole Miss 71-64 in the Round of 64.