UNC Basketball: Drake Powell Named Top Defender in 2024 Class
The Tar Heels look to be getting another defensive powerhouse.
The North Carolina Tar Heels will welcome the No. 10 ranked recruiting class in the country according to 247Sports in 2024-25. This incoming group, while small in number, has national attention already peeled on the immediate impact to be made. Ian Jackson and Drake Powell are both five-star top-10 prospects and will enter Chapel Hill with large shoes to fill. This duo, who will also be joined by James Brown, makes up one of the best Tar Heel recruiting classes in recent years.
The Tar Heels are getting a defensive powerhouse in Drake Powell.
Ian Jackson typically receives the bulk of the coverage as the premier incoming freshman for North Carolina, but Drake Powell has solidified himself amongst the elite of the 2024 class as well, and experts are taking notice.
“If you’re looking for a stopper in the 2024 class, look no further than Drake Powell. The 6-foot-5 wing is a premier athlete with elite lateral quickness, long arms, a high motor and the conditioning of a guy that never gets tired.” - Travis Branham, National Basketball Analyst for 247Sports
Branham is not the first to take notice of Powell’s elite defensive presence, and his late surge into the top slots of many recruiting rankings result from his elite ability to defend at a consistent rate. Powell is scouted to have a raw offensive skillset, but as many have praised him for, he possesses a high basketball IQ that presumably carves out minutes for him at all levels.
Drake Powell’s elite defensive skills will be a valuable asset to the Tar Heels.
As Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels are still searching for pieces in the transfer portal, Drake Powell continues to be a guy some overlook as an impact player right off the bat. North Carolina should be excited about what they have in the incoming freshman, and he should fit in well with an already balanced roster on a team with high expectations.
The Tar Heels are getting a valuable asset in Drake Powell.
The Tar Heels are getting a defensive powerhouse in Drake Powell, and fans should be excited to see him take the court.
