By R.L. Bynum
Drake Powell is declaring for the NBA draft, he announced Wednesday on Instagram.
Powell was listed in NBA mock drafts before the season but hasn’t been mentioned in most projections in the last couple of months. He has until June 15 at 5 p.m. to pull his name and be eligible to return for his sophomore season at Carolina, but some reports suggest that he intends to stay in the draft.
“This decision was nowhere near easy,” Powell said in the post, “but with the support and guidance of my family and coaches, I will be entering my name into the 2025 NBA draft.”
The 6–6, 195-pound forward had a significant impact on both ends of the court during his freshman season at North Carolina, particularly when he became a starter at the three spot for the last 11 games.
“Thank you for embracing and supporting me through the highs and lows of the past season,” Powell said. “I have learned so much both on and off the court. I was born and bred a Tar Heel, and to have the opportunity to put on that uniform, run through that tunnel, and compete for the university that I love is a feeling that is unmatched, and I’ll never take that for granted.”
While playing terrific defense with 26 steals and being disruptive with his length and jumping ability, Powell averaged 7.4 points and 3.4 rebounds, shooting 37.9% from 3-point range and 48.3% overall from the field.
Powell started 24 of 37 games, with his best overall performance coming when he collected 16 points, 6 rebounds and 2 3-pointers in the 92–73 home win over Miami on March 1.
He scored in double figures 10 times — including twice against Duke (12 in Durham on Feb. 1 and 10 in the ACC tournament on March 14) — topped by pouring in 18 points and four 3-pointers in the 94–91 overtime loss on Nov. 27 in the Maui Invitational.
Roster assuming all players with eligibility other than Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar and the seven players who entered the transfer portal return, which would put UNC two under the 15-player limit. The class for next season is listed.
| No./ Stars | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 star | Freshman | Maximo Adams | SF | 6–7 | 205 |
| 3 star | Freshman | Malloy Smith | CG | 6–5 | 190 |
| 5 star | Freshman | Sayon Keita | C | 7–0 | 215 |
| 4 star | Freshman | Kevin Thomas | W | 6–7 | 190 |
| RS freshman | Cade Bennerman — W | C | 7–0 | 205 | |
| Sophomore | Neoklis Avdalas — X | G | 6–9 | 215 | |
| Sophomore | Isaiah Denis | G | 6–4 | 180 | |
| Sophomore | Matt Able — Y | G | 6–6 | 205 | |
| Senior | Terrence Brown — Z | G | 6–3 | 174 | |
| 4 | Senior | Jaydon Young | G | 6–4 | 200 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson | 4 | 6–10 | 215 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 25 | Junior | John Holbrook | 4 | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | 2 | 6–1 | 195 |
W — Northwestern transfer. X — Virginia Tech transfer; Y — N.C. State transfer; Z — Utah transfer
Michael Malone’s coaching staff: Chuck Martin, Bryan Tibaldi, Sean May and Pat Sullivan; Deon Thompson will be a graduate assistant, and Brandon Robinson will reportedly have a support staff position.
Players who left for the transfer portal
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Bogavac | Senior | W | 6–6 | 215 | Oklahoma State |
| James Brown | Senior | C | 6–10 | 240 | Howard |
| Derek Dixon | Sophomore | G | 6–5 | 200 | Arizona |
| Kyan Evans | Senior | G | 6–2 | 175 | Minnesota |
| Zayden High | Junior | C | 6–10 | 230 | South Florida |
| Jonathan Powell | Junior | G | 6–6 | 190 | Pittsburgh |
| Ivan Matlekovic | Junior | C | 7–0 | 255 |
Key offseason dates
Thursday through May 28 — Kevin Thomas at USA Basketball U18 national team tryouts in Colorado Springs
May 27 (11:59 p.m.) — NCAA early-entry withdrawal deadline
June 13 — Deadline for international players to withdraw from NBA draft and maintain college eligibility
June 23–24 — NBA draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn
Nonconference schedule so far
(Other than the ACC/SEC Challenge, games without links revealed from reporting by Alex Rosinski or Rocco Miller)
(11 of 14 games)
Nov. 2 — vs. Western Carolina
Nov. 6 — vs. Wofford
Nov. 10 — vs. Wyoming
Nov. 13 — vs. Georgia
Nov. 20 — vs. Marshall
Nov. 27 — vs. West Virginia at the Dick Vitale Invitational at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center
Dec. 1 or 2 — vs. SEC team in ACC/SEC Challenge (announced last year on June 12)
Dec. 12 — at Georgetown
Dec. 19 — vs. Kentucky in CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden
Dec. 21 — vs. The Citadel
November or December — vs. Butler
Photo via @UNC_Basketball
