Published on November 9th, 2023 by Inside Carolina
PITTSBORO, N.C. — Northwood High School’s basketball gym quickly filled up around 11 a.m. on Thursday.
Typically, it holds full crowds to watch future North Carolina basketball wing Drake Powell put on a show. But this time, people gathered to watch him sign his letter of intent with UNC more than a year after making his verbal commitment.
The five-star recruit made his way to the table at center court with his family accompanying him. Classmates, teammates, and coaches who have known Powell along his journey loaded the green and gold bleachers to watch him finally put pen to paper and sign with the Tar Heels.
He had his share of nerves before that moment, as he was third in the lineup that day. Student-athletes Ryan Tinervin (Roanoke College) and Ella Boecke (Campbell) signed their letters first. But once Powell took his seat, he briefly addressed the crowd and made his decision official.
“I got it out the way, and I’m ready to go there and do what I do: impact winning,” Powell told reporters on Thursday.
Powell grew up in an athletic household. His older sister, Cera, played volleyball at Virginia Tech and now plays for UConn as a graduate transfer. His older brother, Deuce, played two years of basketball at Louisburg College and now attends North Carolina A&T. He also played basketball at Northwood.
Next fall, Powell will be the first of his siblings to attend North Carolina — where both of his parents graduated. His father, Dedric, and his mother, Cherice, didn’t try to push him toward North Carolina when he was deciding on a college, but his mother admitted that it was hard not to sway him in that direction.
“The fact that he’s going to UNC, that just puts the icing on the cake, cherry on top,” Cherice Powell, said. “When we were raising them, we had them in the Carolina Kids Club and we hoped that they would gravitate that way, at least to go to school there. But for him to be able to have the opportunity to play basketball there is really exciting.”
Powell grew up playing basketball against his brother and his cousin. Deuce Powell said that Drake always had a solid jumpshot, but as the youngest of the group, he took his share of beatings from them on the court at times. They’d often take him down to the post and use their strength against him.
But when Powell grew to 6-foot-4 as an eighth grader, the tide started to shift.
“That’s when I was like, ain’t no telling how good this dude’s gonna be,” Deuce Powell said. “He just turned into a monster.”
Powell is ranked the No. 4 player in the class by 247Sports rankings and the No. 1 player in the state of North Carolina. He is touted for his athleticism and versatility on defense.
He averaged 18.6 points and seven rebounds per game as a junior last season, helping Northwood reach the 3A state championship game. He was also with the Chargers when they made the state championship his freshman year.
Powell has a mild-mannered demeanor when he’s not playing basketball. He has an interest in artistry and enjoys going to art museums when he can. While on one of his visits, he was impressed with the Ackland Art Museum on South Columbia Street in Chapel Hill.
On Thursday, he recalled having lunch at Sup Dogs on his first official visit, taking in the city’s atmosphere while engaging in encouraging conversations with the team. He made his verbal commitment in September 2022, and in the year between committing and signing, he never wavered from his choice.
He said he’s maintained contact with Jalen Washington, Seth Trimble, Paxson Wojcik and Cormac Ryan the most. Powell is a frequent visitor at the Smith Center.
“They’re focused and they’re good basketball players,” Powell said. “They’re feeding me different parts of what Carolina basketball is truly about.”
In addition to Powell, North Carolina will bring in Ian Jackson and James Brown from the class of 2024. Brown signed his letter of intent on Wednesday.
Powell’s family is excited to have him so close to home. It’s less than a half-hour drive from Pittsboro to Chapel Hill, a short trek to see Powell don his family name on the back of his jersey.
“It just boosts my playing level, I think,” Powell said, “Having the community of Northwood not too far from Chapel Hill to see me play, it means a lot.”
Jeremiah Holloway 