After falling in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, Hubert Davis and the North Carolina Tar Heels saw a good portion of their starters leave.
RJ Davis finished out his fifth year, attempting to take his talents to the NBA. Elliot Cadeau transferred to Michigan. And freshman Drake Powell declared for the draft, initially maintaining his college eligibility.
However, Powell has had a strong NBA draft combine in Chicago, Illinois, elevating his stock even more. With that being said, the 6-foot-6 guard from Pittsboro, NC, has closed the door on returning to UNC, revealing he will stay in the draft on Thursday.
“All-in on the draft,” Powell said. “Door’s closed. Hubert Davis has been very supportive during this process. I’ve known him for a long time … and he’s just happy for me.”
In his lone season in Chapel Hill, Powell started in 24-of-37 games, averaging 7.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 25.5 minutes per contest. But he still felt he wasn’t able to showcase his full ability with North Carolina.
“I feel like I’m the same two-way player that was coming into college,” Powell commented. “Obviously, I don’t think I got to showcase that at UNC, but the potential is still there. I’m ready to learn as much as I can and continue to grow.”
Still, like Powell mentioned, Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels have shown him support throughout the draft process. On Friday, following his official draft decision, UNC posted a message about Powell, highlighting his impressive combine numbers.
“On the rise 📈,” Carolina Basketball wrote on X.
Powell has climbed into first-round consideration with his recent performances at the combine. Still, many 2025 NBA mock drafts have him projected as an early second-round pick. ESPN has him going No. 32 to the Boston Celtics.
The first round of the 2025 NBA Draft will take place on June 25 in Brooklyn, NY, while the second round will be the following day.
