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There is another top player in Pittsboro, and UNC will not lose this one.
Unlike Jarin Stevenson, who grew up rooting for the Tar Heels, visited Chapel Hill numerous times and finally vacillated on his decision before committing to Alabama, Drake Powell seems cut from a different cloth.
The 6-5 rising senior at Northwood High School and bona fide 5-star in the class of 2024, Powell is staying for his senior season and already tearing it up in the annual Peach Jam summer festival in Georgia. He runs, jumps, dunks and shoots the three ball and has a mesmerizing smile.
Northwood Coach Matt Brown calls Powell a once-in-a-lifetime player for a coach, a kid who does everything he is asked to do, plus more, and shows his gratitude in several ways, including pointing to the passer who assisted him on a basket, just like Dean Smith’s guys used to do.
“I have a beautiful family, beautiful people around me and I live in a beautiful home, and I am breathing, so I can’t really complain,” Powell told WRAL TV this week.
Brown said Powell will stay after games, sign autographs and take pictures with everybody and anybody who wants them. “Any time I can show a little gratitude toward them, I will,” added the No. 1 player in the state.
Powell and his mother even help clean up the bleachers before they leave to go home. “That is absolutely unheard of nowadays for athletes and their parents,” said Northwood Athletic Director Cameron Vernon.
Of his future college team, Powell says, “It’s a family over there. The coaches all played for the University of North Carolina, and they know what the players currently over there are going through.”
Powell seems to have maturity and wisdom far beyond his 17 years. “Growing up, I just want to be a great person overall, and anytime if I can give back to my community I will.”
Powell’s parents, Cherice and Dedrick, are both UNC graduates. Dedrick played baseball for the Tar Heels, and his sister and brother all grew up as UNC fans, attending football, basketball and baseball games.
“My mom used to take us to the Smith Center to see the men’s team off before big games and tournaments,” Drake said.
“When I took my official visit there, I just couldn’t stop smiling at everything I saw. There’s an energy when you walk into the Smith Center that’s hard to explain. I always wanted to play in the ACC. It’s been my dream for a long time.”
Dream coming true.
Featured image via Inside Carolina/Jim Hawkins
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