UNC Star Vertical Potential Lift Him Into NBA Draft Spotlight as UNC Eyes Return to First Round
One-and-Done UNC Wing Emerging as Rising NBA Draft Prospect
UNC basketball is expected to have just one player from its 2024-25 roster selected in the 2025 NBA Draft, set for June 25-26 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. That lone projected pick is standout freshman forward Drake Powell, who’s emerging as a strong candidate to end the program’s three-year stretch without a first-round selection.
As highlighted by the official UNC basketball account, the 19-year-old Pittsboro, N.C., native boosted his draft stock with an impressive showing at last week’s NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, where he ranked in the top 10 across five different categories — including a Combine-best 43-inch max vertical and a 37.5-inch standing vertical.
On the rise 📈 pic.twitter.com/XctFk9SXzk
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) May 16, 2025
ESPN’s first mock draft following the NBA Combine, released Monday, reflects a slight boost in Drake Powell’s draft stock. Analysts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo moved him up one spot from the previous week, now projecting him to be selected 31st overall — the opening pick of the second round — by the Minnesota Timberwolves (via the Utah Jazz).
Standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 200 pounds, Powell may not have ideal height for his position, but he compensates with elite athleticism. His explosive leaping ability and flashes of offensive potential were evident during his time at UNC, though his production was modest, averaging 7.4 points and 3.4 rebounds in 25.6 minutes per game.
Still, with his raw tools and potential to develop into a high-impact perimeter defender and aggressive slasher, the former five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American could climb into the low 20s on mock drafts and big boards in the coming weeks.
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