Drake Powell, a senior at Northwood (N.C.), is a stalwart defender for the UNC basketball squad. The 6-foot-6, 195-pound explosive wing played with constant intensity throughout Friday night’s 75-51 victory over Chatham Central to secure a conference championship with a 16-0 record (24-3 overall).
This was particularly true during a brief 12-second stretch in which he scored, stole, and blocked twice. In transition, Powell—one of two Tar Heel signees selected to participate in the McDonald’s All-American Game in Houston on April 2—chased down a helpless Chatham Central player for the first ultra-athletic swat from behind. Powell is ranked No. 10 overall on the 247Sports 2024 Composite.
With great defensive technique, he instantly recovered to leap straight up and deny another layup attempt with both hands. Powell, who has been a member of the Tar Heels since September 2022, then skidded past a third player and another defender to steal the ball and lay it in at the opposite end. Bryce Lanning of Elite Mixtapes described Powell’s outstanding performance as the “craziest defensive sequence” he had ever filmed in the piece that follows:
The other McDonald’s All-American in the class for UNC basketball is Ian Jackson, a five-star guard from Our Saviour Lutheran (N.Y.). James Brown, a four-star center from Link Academy (Mo.), is the third player in the Tar Heels group, which is ranked seventh in the nation.
