North Carolina got it's first commitment in the 2025 transfer portal Tuesday night when former West Virginia Mountaineer, Jonathan Powell, pledged to the Tar Heels.
The 6-foot-6 guard out of Ohio averaged 8.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.7 assists. Powell shot 37.8% overall, and 35.2% from three-point range. He was only a 48% free throw shooter. He also had an 8.3 point average in Big 12 play.
When it came to shooting, Powell was more strictly in the three-point role as a freshman. 182 of 251 shot attempts were of the three-point variety. He made 64 trifectas in all. He started 25 games out of a possible 32.
Powell first heard from North Carolina last week. We were told at that time that things could move quickly. That was the indeed the case. The two parties participated in a Zoom call Tuesday morning. Powell committed to the Tar Heels that night.
Max Powell is Jonathan's older brother. He was involved in the process throughout. He spoke with Tar Heel Illustrated about that, and what type of person and player the program is getting.
THI: I would assume that I could speak for Jonathan, you, and you entire family be saying this is a good time for you.
POWELL: “Yes sir, yes sir. It’s a pretty good time. In the portal you get things going, and it happened fast. But there was a connection for sure.”
THI: Tell us about Jonathan as an individual off the court.
POWELL: “I will start out by saying he is a very well mannered kid. He comes from a good home, and he was raised properly. I would say the best thing about him outside of that is a hard work ethic. He never gives up. He’s a very coachable kid. In this modern day of basketball with this generation that’s one of the key things that really brings value to the table as a kid and a player is being coachable. He has all of those traits to do that for sure.”
THI: Give us a scouting report about him as a player.
POWELL: “I would say the evolution of his game basically hasn’t even been seen out there yet. Obviously he was playing a certain way this year, because coming in he kind of got thrown in the mix quickly. Over the summer he prepared for that. He worked for that. He was given that starting spot in the role he took on. Everybody knows him as just a shooter. He can shoot the three, high volume, confidence. I would say that outside of that he brings positionless size. He can guard the one through three. He can switch off on the four sometimes. His defense picked up tremendously as he also picked up about 20 to 22 pounds of muscle and weight on his body.
"I think a big upside to him is they just saw a little bit of what he can do versus what he is going to be doing. He’s been doing things in high school, but it’s different when you get to the college level. I think a lot of coaches stick the freshmen with what their strengths are. Coming into his sophomore season with a coach like (Hubert) Davis, and the staff that he has there will be a lot more upside, honestly: putting the ball on the floor, coming off the screens harder and make shots, being put in situations where he is crashing for the offensive rebound. They can use him in many ways besides offense and shooting, but in defense as well.”
THI: Correct me if I’m wrong, or tell me if you agree. In year one at West Virginia he was a three and D type of guy. Because he is young he as a lot of room to develop and even showcase the rest of his game at North Carolina. Does that sound reasonable?
POWELL: “I would say that’s about reasonable for sure. If things could have gone differently for him this year, they could’ve, but as true freshman in the Big 12 on a team that won a good amount of games to some high major teams, it’s hard to come straight in and play 30 minutes a game, and do a lot outside of what the team needs you to do versus what you can do. I agree with that a lot. There’s more to it, but three and D his freshman year was definitely what got him on the court for sure.”
THI: When I spoke with Tom Droney as soon as Jonathan went into the portal, he told me it would be a pretty quick process, and it was. Tell us how it developed.
POWELL: “When they first contacted us: Coach Davis, and the guys, and Jim Tanner, I thought it was a very thoughtful contact at first. They were obviously weighing some options, and looking at certain things that they were wanting in the program, and looking at a certain style of kids. So when they first reached out it kind of drew my attention with me helping my little brother try to decide which schools he is interested in, and where he sees himself fit on certain rosters, and a team he feels can win on a high level.
"I thought the connection we made with Coach Davis and Jim Tanner, with our family was very mutual. I think the interest they had in him came quickly with them just talking to him on the phone. From the conversation they had with him you would have thought they knew him for years, but they had not met the kid yet in person. It didn’t go quickly because it was more of a hurry, hurry, hurry things. It was more mutual. It was very mutual.”
THI: It was interesting you brought up the new Basketball General Manager, Jim Tanner. This is the first commitment since he has been here. We all want to know how involved is he in these processes?
POWELL: “He’s very involved. I would say one of the best things North Carolina Basketball has going for them is hiring a GM like Jim Tanner. He is a guy that has experience all across the board. With him being a part of the process, it didn’t speed things up, but it made it more of an understanding and a realization versus having a coach doing all of the legwork himself it doesn’t allow the coach to do other things when you’ve got a guy like Jim Tanner that can manage that role, and help pick out the talent, and get guys to build the program and help compete and win a championship this year. I would say that Jim Tanner is very good in what he does, and is very straight forward. He and Coach Davis both are very straight up and honest with what they see, and what they expect, and what they are going to help you do, and help the team as well. I think it worked out well.”
THI: I was told Monday night that the Tuesday morning Zoom call would go a long way in deciding the seriousness of the recruitment. How big a part did that meeting play, and when did Jonathan know North Carolina was the place?
POWELL: “I’ll be honest with you, and one of these days I will get my little brother on the phone with you as well. For me, being there with him, and being on the phone calls, and talking with him because he and I have a tight knit relationship, and we’re very close. It’s been a dream for my little brother to play with a blue blood school, and North Carolina at that. I think when Coach Davis first called him they hit it off, because Coach Davis went back to his high school film.
"For him to dig that deep into my brother, and for a player who just played one year of college basketball to go back that far into the high school film and tell what he sees, and what he sees that he’s capable of to get to the next level, I think my little brother was like, ‘This coach is serious. He’s really interested in me. He really sees value in me and what I can do right now. Not what I can do in a year, or two years to be something, he’s expecting me to come in and help out right now.’ That played a huge role in my little brother making a decision to become and Tar Heel.”
THI: Have the coaches had the discussion with Jonathan about how they would like to use him?
POWELL: “I think that part of it in recruiting that the kids, and the family, and the coaches have to understand about being up front about it. With Jim Tanner, and I will say his name again, and again, and again. With him and Coach Davis being on the phone, and Coach Davis himself speaking in high volume of my little brother it made it more of an understanding that they are expecting him to come in, and they are recruiting him to come in and compete for a starting spot. They are not recruiting him to just fill out depth on the bench, and to play that role.
"They are recruiting him to produce, to be a double digit scorer. That puts some weight on my little brother’s shoulder, but he’s always had a chip on his back, and being ready for that moment. So that’s a big thing for sure. That really helped him open his eyes up and see that this is serious. It’s a big step in his life, so I look forward to that for sure.”
THI: Jonathan was kind of a late bloomer. He had a lot more interest this time around than out of high school. What is it like to be under the radar, and now to be playing at North Carolina a year later?
POWELL: “Wow, it does wonders for a kid. Every kid is different. Each one handles it differently. I think with him always being underrated and overlooked it always goes back to that chip. He’s always had a chip on shoulder. I think even leading into this year he’s going to keep that chip on his shoulder. It helped him get to where he is now. A lot of kids get the ranking and the stripes, and they don’t produce. He’s a kid that’s going to put the work in. He’s going to earn it. He doesn’t want anything put into his hands. He’s going to earn everything that anybody gives him in life. That motivation leads to success both on and off the court, not just in basketball, but in life in general. He carries valuable lessons that will take him a long way in life.”
