Kon Knueppel #7 of the Duke Blue Devils is defended by RJ Davis #4 and Ian Jackson #11 of the North Carolina Tar Heels (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
The second weekend of March Madness is in full swing, as the 16 remaining teams will be whittled down to the Final Four by late Sunday night. The North Carolina Tar Heels are not among those still in contention, which is very out of character for the program.
North Carolina has won a record 134 NCAA tournament games, while advancing to the Sweet Sixteen round 31 times. They have made a record 21 Final Fours and 12 national title games. On six occasions, they have been the very last team standing in March Madness, getting the honor of cutting down the nets as national champions.
One of those six teams, the 2009 edition, achieved the first unanimous No. 1 preseason ranking in the history of both the AP and the USA Today/Coaches poll.
This season, however, they had to play their way into the NCAA Tournament via the First Four, where they routed San Diego State 95–68 in the play-in affair. The Heels then fell 71–64 to Ole Miss in the first round, in a game where they trailed the Rebels by only two in the final minute.
While UNC’s 23–14 season (where they finished fourth in the ACC) was an overall disappointment, they did showcase their potential at the very end. In shooting guard Ian Jackson and wing Drake Powell, Carolina has two five-star recruits with high NBA Draft stock.
Next MJ? Jackson and Powell Forge Their Own Paths
Both Jackson—nicknamed “Captain Jack”—and Powell have major draft decisions to make.
If they stay in Chapel Hill for another season, they can certainly refine their game and improve their draft stock even more. It would also set up Carolina to potentially be one of the best teams in the nation next season.
With North Carolina Tar Heels men’s basketball, the aura of the G.O.A.T. Michael Jordan always has and always will surround the program. Jackson knows this as well as anybody, given how he plays the same position.
“It’s huge for us, it’s Jordan,” Jackson said in an exclusive with RG. “Wherever we go, we see (imagery of) him around the facility.”
It’s always a risky proposition, anointing somebody “the next MJ.” Because, simply put, there can only be one. Jackson said he does not model his game on anyone.
“I feel I play like Ian,” he said with a smile.
“I watch a lot of games, I study a lot of games, I take what I take, but at the end of the day, I play like me.”
Powell, a 2024 McDonald’s All-American, takes a different approach, explaining that he models his game on four-time NBA All-Star and Phoenix Suns all-time leading scorer Devin Booker.
“I like his game a lot,” Powell said in an exclusive with RG. “[I also take] a little bit of Jrue Holiday as well.”
One of the top players in the 2024 recruiting class, Powell could have gone wherever he wanted. He explained why he opted to stay close to home, with Chapel Hill being just 17 miles north of his native Pittsboro, N.C.
“This is a family atmosphere. That was big when I made my decision, and I know I made the right one by coming to North Carolina,” he said, before discussing what specifically he’s trying to improve in order to elevate his game. “I’m working on my handles, my overall game, three-point shooting.”
Draft Dreams vs. Tar Heel Legacy
Both Jackson and Powell had roller-coaster seasons, as is common with five-star-rated freshmen. Given their limitless potential, the chance at getting selected in June’s draft will be there. However, in today’s climate of Name, Image & Likeness (NIL), they can both stay in school and make good money.
UNC is among the bluest of the college basketball blue bloods, ranking third all-time in total wins. They have a massive national and international fan base that adores their hardwood heroes.
R.J. Davis, North Carolina’s all-time leading scorer, explained what makes both of these players so special.
On Jackson, Davis said:
“Ian is a confident kid. He’s a shot-maker and is able to get it going. When you have two talented kids like that, they’re being highly scouted by NBA scouts—it makes the team more fun to watch and helps us out as a group.”
Jackson, who has won gold medals for the national team in both the FIBA U-17 Basketball World Cup and FIBA U-16 World Championship, says the biggest strength in his game is his ability to score—and to do so in multiple ways.
He is also very confident in his leadership skills, but when asked what he could specifically improve upon in his game, he said simply, “everything.”
As for Powell, he believes his best selling point as a player is his “willingness to compete every night.”
Both players were among the highest-rated freshmen in all of college basketball this season, and at times, they showcased that brilliance.
“Besides basketball, they’re really good kids,” added Davis. “They have really good personalities and just on the court they do whatever it takes to win.”
Carolina is the perfect fit for them, as water always seeks its own level.
It is the only school to have achieved an active streak of reaching the national title game in nine straight decades (no other school has done it in more than six decades) and to have reached at least two Final Fours in six straight decades.
In 2012, ESPN ranked UNC first on its list of the 50 most successful programs of the past half-century.
Paul M. Banks
