A dreamforDrake Powell is coming true.
Wednesday, like his mother and father before him, Powell is making the short drive from Pittsboro, North Carolina to UNC's campus. He's enrolling as the second-highest ranked freshman in Hubert Davis' three-year tenure.
Proximity to campus, though, doesn't change the 6-foot-6, 196-pound wing's enthusiasm for everything that's in front of him.
"My sister (Cera, who played volleyball at Virginia Tech and UConn) and my cousin have helped a lot," Powell told Inside Carolina. "It's all coming at me real fast, but I think I'm more than prepared. I have so many people to talk to who have already been through this. They all just say 'be prepared and ready to work.' I'm just looking forward to the full college experience."
Powell ending up at UNC wasn't a huge surprise all things considered, but it was an inflection point on his high school career.
Despite a less-than-lofty national ranking at the time, Powell did enough during AAU ball in the summer of 2022 to earn an offer from Davis. He committed to Carolina on Aug. 21, 2022 over offers from Florida State, LSU, Miami, N.C. State, Tennessee, and UCLA among others.
Over the next 20 months, Powell's game blossomed and evaluators noticed – bumping him from the top 50 to the top 25 to the top 15 to, at one point, a top-five ranking in the class of 2024. Despite his national appeal, and interest from prep schools across the country, Powell opted to stay at Pittsboro (N.C.) Northwood for his senior season.
He turned in a senior season that will always be remembered at Northwood, averaging 17.7 points (57% FG, 41% 3pt, 82%FT), 8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block per game, while often sitting out entire fourth quarters.
"I definitely know staying was the right decision now," said Powell. "We came up short since we didn't win the state championship, and that was one of my goals. But I kept relationships with my teammates, people I grew up with, and the community of Pittsboro as well. I'm happy the younger people in the community are able to look up to me and see that you can still accomplish some of your goals at home."
The competition at public high schools in North Carolina obviously pales in comparison to places like Nike's EYBL scholastic league, but Powell doesn't feel behind some of his peers. He credits his coaches for "always making me go hard."
And high school evaluators agreed, as Powell earned invitations to the Iverson and Josh Level classics, and Jordan and McDonald's All-American games. He's proud of his performances at those events, but mostly that his teams were 4-0 during them.
"The McDonald's scrimmages and practices were great and very competitive as well," Powell said. "I like being in those type of environments. Like we're all friends and respect each other on the court, and that was great. I felt like through all the events I showed all aspects of my game."
That confidence is where Powell saw the most growth during his senior season.
"I feel like I can continue to play at a high level, even when I get to school and start playing ACC ball," said Powell. "I'm seeing the next level of a defense, offensively speaking. Like I'm kind of seeing what's about to happen before the play occurs. I'm also physically stronger."
He gave his newly-fortified belief one final test in Los Angeles in recent weeks. A long-time member of Chris Paul's CP3 AAU team on Nike's EYBL circuit, Powell has grown close with another former CP3 and UNC player – Coby White.
"Our relationship is great," he said. "Like I told you a while ago, I sometimes have a hard time gelling with people at first because I'm a pretty quiet type of person. But Coby is pretty open and outgoing, and he's helped me a lot."
The duo spent several days training with former UCLA player Don McLean and Proactive Sports Performance founder and Director Ryan Capretta.
"It was just a bunch of workouts that Chris Paul invited me to attend," Powell said. "There were some pre-draft guys and a bunch of college guys. I held my own. I thought (Michigan signee) Danny Wolf was pretty talented as well as (former Kentucky guard) Reed Sheppard and (Georgia sophom*ore) Silas Demary Jr."
Powell was a regular visitor in the Smith Center this past season, taking in at least 10 of Carolina's home games. As such, he's had lot of communication with the Carolina staff this year.
"They just ask me about what's going on outside of basketball," Powell said. "They want to know what I do in my free time, how school is going, how my parents are doing, things like that. There isn't a lot of actual basketball talk."
"Impacting winning" is what Powell hopes to do most as a freshman. He sees himself playing at the '3' and '2,' though his exact position and role haven't been determined or conveyed by the UNC staff.
Powell has, however, settled on a jersey number.
"I'll be wearing No. 9," he said. "I don't really have an answer why. My cousin, he mentioned it to me one time that Dwyane Wade wore it during the Olympics. And I don't think anyone has ever worn No. 9 at UNC."
Editor's Note:Nine players in Carolina Basketball history have worn the No. 9 jersey, but the last to do so wasNorm Mitchell in 1948.
