North Carolina guard Drake Powell has declared for the NBA Draft after one season in Chapel Hill.
Powell made the announcement on his Instagram account on Wednesday afternoon.
Powell, who played at Northwood High in Pittsboro, started 24 games for the Tar Heels and averaged 7.4 points a game as a 6-foot-6 freshman. His season-high in points (18) came in a 94-91 loss to Michigan State in the Maui Invitational. Powell shot 37.9 percent from 3 and 48.3 percent from the field overall.
“Competing at the highest level has always been the ultimate goal,” Powell wrote. “This decision was nowhere near easy, but with the support and guidance of my family and coaches, I will be entering my name into the 2025 NBA Draft.”
The deadline to enter the NBA Draft is on April 26. The NBA Draft Combine is May 11-18. Players can withdraw from the draft and go back to college if they withdraw before the June 15 deadline.
Should Powell remain in draft contention, Colorado State transfer Kyan Evans and returnee Seth Trimble figure to lead the UNC backcourt next season with freshmen Isaiah Denis and Derek Dixon. West Virginia transfer Jonathan Powell averaged 8.3 points a game at guard last season.
Guard RJ Davis exhausted his eligibility and Elliot Cadeau transferred to Michigan. Ven-Allen Lubin, who became a key post player for UNC toward the end of the season, entered the transfer portal on Monday, but said he plans to return. Jarin Stevenson, a 6-foot-11 forward who also has Pittsboro ties, is transferring to UNC from Alabama.
The last UNC player to leave for the NBA after one season was Day’Ron Sharpe in 2021.
