By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — He doesn’t mean to do it. He snaps. One bad possession, one missed defensive rotation and suddenly, Jonathan Powell is tearing at his practice jersey, fabric ripping down the middle, and emotion flowing.
It’s not a tantrum. It’s combustion.
“I have a flip [of a switch] every time I get on the court,” said Powell, who, like every player, wore practice jerseys for Saturday’s Blue-White scrimmage. There was no ripping of his jersey, though. “Like a little switch I can flip on and off.”
That switch defines Powell, the 6–6, 190-pound sophomore transfer from West Virginia now wearing Carolina blue. He plays with anger. It’s not reckless anger, but the kind that simmers until it boils over.
Powell’s time at West Virginia included big moments and the same volatile energy. He started the final 23 games for the Mountaineers, guiding them to 19 wins while averaging 8.3 points per game, scoring 64 3-pointers and maintaining the lowest turnover percentage in the Big 12 over 963 minutes.
He scored 11 points and a pair of 3-pointers to help lead the White team to a 55–50 victory in Saturday’s 24-minute public scrimmage at the Smith Center.
But his story isn’t just about numbers. It was about the moments between them. Frustration sometimes gets the best of him, and he says he’s ripped his practice jersey once since he arrived in Chapel Hill.
“Always looking to compete, and to win, then with the jersey thing, I did it once here, but I try not to do it anymore,” said Powell, whose scoring high last season was 17 points, which came against N.C. Central and Oklahoma State. “Just when I get upset or not having my practice, sometimes just [rip the jersey] down the middle.”
That rawness is both his weapon and his challenge. When the switch flips, he’s relentless. Powell is diving for loose balls, fighting for rebounds, playing like every possession matters.
“I’m always looking to compete [and] to win,” he said.
He scored five 3-pointers twice last season (shooting 35.2% for the season), scored in double figures 15 times, and played 30 or more minutes in 16 games. But when his play isn’t up to his standard, his response isn’t to shrug.
That intensity has a new home and a coach in Hubert Davis, who saw it as something to shape rather than suppress.
“The main thing for me was looking for a coach who believed in me,” Powell said. “Instantly, it clicked with Hubert and seeing what he liked in my game and what I could do for his team.”
Davis offered Powell something essential but straightforward: trust. At Carolina, Powell would not be just a shooter stationed in the corner.
“I believe I have way more freedom,” Powell said, “being able to create for myself or have the opportunity. Just being aggressive and not just settling for shots beyond arc, and knowing that I have the size and the strength to be able to go inside and create, not just settling for shots beyond arc.”
His numbers last season show how little he drove to the rim. He averaged 30.1 minutes over 32 games but only attempted 25 free throws. Considering he shot 37.8% from the floor, he surprisingly shot only 48% from the free-throw line.
But the switch, the heat is still there. Managing it is part of the daily work.
“Really just understanding the work I put in every day,” he says. “So, it’s no reason to get upset about missed shots or certain stuff. That’s out of my control.”
In practice, the fire fits right in.
“When stuff gets competitive … everyone’s gonna be vocal and talk,” he says. “Everyone wants to win. Everyone is talking during practice, and that’s the thing I love about this team.
He noticed early that this group jelled faster than he expected — he estimated it took 10 to 14 days — and he credited the summer pick-up games.
“A lot of them got chippy, because everyone’s competitive,” he says.
Check out plenty of a photo gallery from the scrimmage.
The same edge that has led to torn practice jerseys now fuels his focus. He’s learning to hold the flame steady, to make it burn for him instead of against him.
He talks about expanding his game beyond the arc, attacking the rim, creating off the dribble and rebounding with intent.
“I think I can be a great [offensive rebounder],” he says. “If I put the same energy I want to have shooting the ball toward going to crash the boards, I can be one.”
He’s also determined to show his defense, which he says is part of his game that’s “slept on” and not acknowledged.
“I saw it every day in practice that I can guard — whatever position you need me to guard,” Powell said, adding that he can guard one through four.
Powell said he was raised to be confident.
“My mom told me, ‘Don’t worry about what no one thinks about you. Just be you,’ ” he said. “I’ve always carried that wherever I went, if it’s off the court, on the court. Just being me and playing confident. That’s what makes me the player who I am.”
Now, that practice jersey has NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS across his chest, and he’s still playing with that same edge.
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| No. | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Freshman | Maximo Adams | SF | 6–7 | 205 |
| 30 | Freshman | Malloy Smith | CG | 6–5 | 190 |
| 21 | Freshman | Sayon Keita | C | 7–0 | 215 |
| 5 | Freshman | Kevin Thomas | W | 6–7 | 190 |
| 35 | Sophomore | Cade Bennerman — U | C | 7–0 | 205 |
| 17 | Sophomore | Neoklis Avdalas — W | G | 6–9 | 215 |
| 2 | Sophomore | Isaiah Denis | G | 6–4 | 180 |
| 3 | Sophomore | Matt Able — X | G | 6–5 | 196 |
| 22 | Junior | Alexandros Samodurov | C | 6–11 | 212 |
| 1 | Senior | Terrence Brown — Y | G | 6–3 | 174 |
| 4 | Senior | Jaydon Young | G | 6–4 | 200 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson | F | 6–10 | 215 |
| 14 | Graduate | Angelo Brizzi — Z | G | 6–3 | 193 |
| 54 | Graduate | Cameron Fens — V | C | 7–0 | 255 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 99 | Junior | John Holbrook — SA | F | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | G | 6–1 | 195 |
V — South Dakota transfer; U — Northwestern transfer; W — Virginia Tech transfer; X — N.C. State transfer; Y — Utah transfer; Z — Buffalo transfer; SA — Holbrook is a designated student-athlete, so he doesn’t count against UNC’s 15-player limit.
Michael Malone’s coaching staff: Chuck Martin, Bryan Tibaldi, Sean May, Jorge Sanz, and Pat Sullivan; Deon Thompson will be a graduate assistant, and Brandon Robinson will reportedly have a support staff position.
Players who entered 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 | Pacific |
Non-conference schedule
| Date | Month/day | Opponent/event (final ranks) |
|---|---|---|
| October | Exhibitions | |
| 9 | 7 p.m. Friday | vs. USC in Greensboro |
| 18 | Sunday | vs. Indiana in Indianapolis |
| 27 | Tuesday | vs. Charlotte |
| November | Regular season | |
| 2 | Monday | vs. Western Carolina |
| 6 | Friday | vs. Wofford |
| 10 | Tuesday | vs. Wyoming |
| 13 | Friday | vs. Georgia |
| 20 | Friday | vs. Marshall |
| 23 | Monday | vs. Monmouth |
| 27 | Friday | Dick Vitale Invitational vs. West Virginia in Charlotte |
| December | ||
| 1 | Tuesday | ACC/SEC Challenge vs. No. 13 Arkansas |
| 6 | Sunday | vs. Butler |
| 12 | Saturday | at Georgetown |
| 15 | Tuesday | Tobacco Road Classic vs. N.C. State in Greensboro |
| 19 | 2:30 Saturday, CBS | CBS Sports Classic vs. Kentucky in New York |
| 21 | Monday | vs. The Citadel |
| January | ||
| 30 | Saturday | Nashville Hoops Showdown vs. No. 5 Illinois in Nashville, Tenn. |
ACC opponents
Home and away: Duke and Louisville
Home only: California, Georgia Tech, Miami, N.C. State, SMU, Stanford and Virginia
Away only: Boston College, Florida State, Notre Dame, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest
Don’t play: Clemson
Photos by Joshua Lawton
