CHAPEL HILL — Jonathan Powell had something of a jersey-ripping ritual as a freshman college basketball player at West Virginia.
During an episode of the “Carolina Insider” podcast, Powell said his temper got the best of him in several practices with the Mountaineers, estimating that he ripped around six of his practice jerseys.
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As the 6-foot-6 wing prepares for his sophomore season and first year with UNC basketball, Powell has dialed back his anger toward jerseys in his transition to Tar Heel threads.
“With the jersey thing, I did it once here, but I try not to do it anymore,” Powell said with a smile inside the Smith Center media room on Oct. 3. “When I get upset or not having (a good) practice, sometimes I just (rip it) down the middle.”
As he finished up his response, Powell demonstrated the ripping motion with his hands, separating them in a Superman-like gesture.
Freshman guard Derek Dixon confirmed Powell has only ripped a jersey once since arriving on campus in Chapel Hill.
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“I’ve seen him rip a jersey this year at practice,” Dixon said Oct. 3 with a chuckle and smile. “I remember we were in the practice gym, he wasn’t shooting great, missed a couple too many shots for his liking, and gave (the jersey) a little tug.”
Dixon went on to say the jersey ripped “a little bit,” but not fully, adding “that’s the just type of guy” Powell is on the court. The rookie guard wouldn’t want it any other way.
“He’s a competitor, he’s passionate and those are the type of guys you want to play with,” Dixon said.
When asked to describe his competitive fire, Powell compared it to using a light switch.
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“I have like a flip every time I get on the court,” he said. “A little switch I can flip on and off. Always looking to compete and to win.”
But, with help from UNC coach Hubert Davis and teammates, Powell has started to lean on what’s accomplished during the daily grind to avoid letting his competitiveness cross the line.
“Really just understanding the work I put in,” he said. “I know the work I put in every day, so it’s no reason to get upset about missed shots or certain stuff that’s out of my control.”
Jonathan Powell gives UNC basketball 3-point shooting, rebounding, defense
With his aggressiveness and competitive edge, Powell provides a trait that was mostly missing from a UNC squad that snuck into the NCAA Tournament last season. He also brings improved 3-point shooting, rebounding and versatility as a defender.
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“I just love his competitiveness, just always wanting to compete, whether it’s just a simple drill or obviously on five-on-five, pickup, practice. He brings a level of competitiveness that brings everybody else along to play at that level,” Davis said during a preseason press conference.
“His rebounding last year. I urge him every day to get to the offensive glass, because I think he can be really elite at that. That’s going to be a job, a requirement, for a number of the guys, but for him, I think that’s an area that he can really excel at.”
A starter in 23 of 32 games as a freshman at West Virginia, Powell averaged 8.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, connecting on 35.2% of his shots from 3-point range.
In the first 21 games of his college career, Powell had one game with five or more rebounds. In the final 11 games, Powell produced four such games, snagging nine rebounds in back-to-back games against Baylor and Cincinnati.
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“He can put the ball on the floor. He can make plays off the dribble, not just shooting, but also distributing and passing,” Davis said. “He’s really aggressive on the offensive end. He’s got good positional size. I talked about his defense, that’s really good.”
Asked about the competition and his shooting stroke, Powell didn’t display a lack of confidence in his ability to knock down shots from long range.
“We compete in everything. I think I’m the best shooter in the country. That’s just from my confidence,” he said. “Every time I step in the gym, no matter where it is or who else is in there, I think I’m the best shooter.”
But, as Davis said, Powell brings a lot more to the table for the Tar Heels, who lacked what they could do defensively last season because of a lack of positional size across the roster.
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“I think that’s a part of my game that’s, in a way, slept on and not acknowledged in a way,” Powell said of his defense.
“I show it every day in practice that I can guard whatever position you need me to guard. That’s something that I’m really excited to show this year. I can play both ends of the floor, especially defense.”
With that combination of confidence and two-way potential, Powell has a chance to be one of the Tar Heels’ top contributors this season on a squad with 11 newcomers. As he becomes more comfortable in his role, the jersey-ripping number should be safe to stay at one in Chapel Hill.
Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding UNC? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Jonathan Powell brings jersey-ripping competitiveness to Tar Heels
