North Carolina Freshmen Showed NBA Potential

Coming into this season, expectations for North Carolina basketball were high. Bringing back RJ Davis and Eliot Cadeau as well as bringing in two five-stars in flamethrower off guard Ian Jackson and defensive wing Drake Powell. What resulted from the season was not exactly what they expected – they currently sit with a 20-11 record, having lost by 20 to Clemson and 17 to Duke on top of losses to Pitt, Wake Forest, and Stanford. Despite this, their two freshmen – particularly Jackson – have earned the eyes of scouts throughout the 2024-25 season. They will both be selected in the Draft this summer, but where each player will go is a difference of opinion between a lot of analysts.

Jackson, who has averaged 13.5 points per game while shooting 48% from the field and 41% from three, is an offensive weapon that has developed efficiency over the course of the season, as he ranks in the 82nd percentile in points per shot at 1.15. He is UNC's second-leading scorer behind RJ Davis, and, as a freshman, ranks second on the team in three-point percentage, which is even more impressive considering how many of his shots come off of the dribble. The leader on the team in this category, Jae'Lyn Rivers, is more of a spot-up threat, so a lot of what Jackson can do is unassisted.

Powell hasn't been as flashy, but what he does bring to the table is perimeter lockdown ability – he is one of if not the best defender on Carolina's roster this season, and though he doesn't score a lot, he is efficient on the shots he takes (50% from the field, 39% from three). He averages 7.5 points per game as well as 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 stocks, and put into the right system in the NBA, can become an effective two-way wing.

Jackson is predicted to go in the 20s of the first round of the NBA Draft, while Powell is projected to go in the 30s, or the first 10 picks of round two. They do have a chance to exercise some of their earlier season demons tonight when they take on the Duke Blue Devils at home. If they can pull this off, and Jackson and Powell have big games, people may begin to look at this season differently.

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