ESPN released its first 2025 NBA mock draft, and analyst Jonathan Givony predicts three North Carolina players to be taken. Drake Powell, an incoming five-star recruit, is the first off the board, going to the Utah Jazz at No. 10 overall. Fellow five-star Ian Jackson is selected 19th overall by the Indiana Pacers, while freshman Elliot Cadeau is selected 35th overall in the second round by the San Antonio Spurs.
UNC has not had two or more players chosen in the first round of the same NBA Draft since Coby White (No. 7), Cam Johnson (No. 11), and Nassir Little (No. 25) in 2019. It was the only time in history that UNC had two one-and-dones drafted.
Cadeau reclassified and arrived at UNC a year early as a five-star prospect, ranked as the No. 12 overall player and No. 2 point guard in the 2023 class. He has played in all 28 games this season (23 starts) and averages 7.6 points and 4.1 assists per game, shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 19.4 percent from three. ESPN predicts he will return for his sophomore season and reunite with his former classmates Powell, Jackson, and James Brown.
Powell has risen steadily in 247Sports’ ranks over the last two years. He debuted in March 2022 as the No. 74 player in his class. He has progressively risen since then, and is now listed as the No. 9 overall prospect in the 2024 class. As a senior at Pittsboro’s Northwood High School, he averaged 17.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. He made 58.5 percent of his shots from the field and 42.5 percent from three-point range.”
Powell has made excellent progress in his growth over the previous year in every single area,” national recruiting expert Travis Branham said. “He’s always been a fantastic athlete, but his ability to put the ball on the floor, create off the dribble, pass, and shoot from both mid- and long-range is developing, and his agility transfers to defense, where he brings energy and a strong motor. His ability to have an impact on the game in every way makes him a player with a high floor and great upside. There’s still a lot of potential to tap into.”
Jackson is listed as the No. 8 talent and No. 4 shooting guard in the 2024 class. Last season, he averaged 24.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.7 steals while playing for Our Savior Lutheran School in New York. He is the seventh-highest-rated recruit to pledge to UNC since 2000, and the highest-rated since Cole Anthony in 2019.
“Jackson has some pretty outstanding highs,” 247Sports’ director of basketball scouting, Adam Finkelstein, said. “And then he has some less noteworthy low points. When you watch him play, you may expect a larger variety of outcomes. He has to improve the consistency of his shooting and guarding talents. It is terrific that he can burst and have those big nights, but when he is not on, there must be a higher baseline
Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina will play in a new-look ACC next season, and on Thursday, the team learned more about its new schedule.
The ACC has announced each team’s opponents for the 2024-25 season, which includes the additions of Cal, Stanford, and SMU. North Carolina has a 4-1 record against California, with their most recent meeting coming in 1998. The Tar Heels are also 2-1 against SMU, with their last encounter in 1987, and 13-0 against Stanford, with the most recent game in 2020.
Each team will still play 20 conference games and face three of their opponents both at home and away. Every team will face the same opponents every year, both at home and on the road, as well as one additional opponent who will be played twice. For UNC, the two teams will remain Duke and N.C. State, with Pitt serving as an additional repeat opponent.
North Carolina won’t have to travel to California or Texas to play the league’s new teams.
UNC’s non-conference schedule for next season already includes road games against Kansas (November 8) and Hawaii (November 22). The team will also compete in the Maui Invitational, among Auburn, Colorado, Connecticut, Dayton, Iowa State, Memphis, and Michigan State. North Carolina will compete in its second ACC-SEC Challenge game against an opponent to be determined later.
The 2025 ACC conference tournament will be held at the Spectrum Center from March 11 to 15.
With a 14-3 conference record, the Tar Heels are currently leading the ACC. The last time UNC won at least a share of the conference regular season title was in 2019, and North Carolina last won outright in 2017.
