While Hubert Davis’ fourth UNC basketball squad has struggled mightily of late, now on a three-game losing skid as the No. 20-ranked Tar Heels gear up to host unranked Georgia Tech in the Dean E. Smith Center at 2 p.m. ET Saturday (ACC Network), the two most heralded freshmen in Chapel Hill have shown signs of being right on track in living up to their five-star billings as preps.
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So, it’s no surprise that chiseled wing Drake Powell and bucket-getting guard Ian Jackson continue to project as one-and-done first-round picks in the eyes of many mock drafts and big boards.
The latest mock draft, courtesy of Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, has the 6-foot-6, 195-pound Powell coming off the board No. 16 overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“After a slow start, Drake Powell put together some encouraging plays and stretches of shotmaking at the Maui Invitational,” Wasserman noted about the 19-year-old from Pittsboro, N.C., averaging 6.3 points and 3.6 rebounds in 22.6 minutes per game and fresh off his first start. “Still, another quiet offensive game against Alabama served as a reminder of his limitations and role.
“He’s out there to disrupt defensively, pick up easy finishes in the open floor and make the open or rhythm threes that come his way. That foundation alone, with Powell’s physical tools, will be attractive to teams that buy the archetype and have patience.”
Wasserman predicts the 6-foot-4, 190-pound Jackson to hear his name No. 29 overall to the now-defending NBA champion Boston Celtics.
“Ian Jackson has been productive in his bench role, averaging 21.0 points per 40 minutes,” Wasserman noted about the 19-year-old from the Bronx, who is up to 11.0 points per game and shooting 50.0 percent beyond the arc (11-for-22). “His opportunities have been limited by Elliot Cadeau, RJ Davis and Seth Trimble, but the freshman has been very aggressive looking for transition, slashing and three-point looks…
“He’s executed at an admirable level so far with his driving and shotmaking. It just may take an injury or bad slump from one of the starters for Jackson to be able to play more and fully sell himself to scouts as an NBA scorer.”
Not counting former outbound transfer Walker Kessler, UNC basketball hasn’t produced a first-rounder since one-and-done big man Day’Ron Sharpe landed with the Brooklyn Nets at No. 29 overall in 2021. And the last time two Tar Heels were first-rounders in the same year was 2019: Coby White at No. 7, Cam Johnson at No. 11, and Nassir Little at No. 25.
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