CHAPEL HILL — UNC basketball coach Hubert Davis heard about Jonathan Powell’s jersey-ripping competitiveness while on the recruiting trail. Davis, the Tar Heels’ fifth-year coach, was asked about it while chatting with some of Powell’s former West Virginia coaches.
Has he ripped a jersey yet?
Powell ripped several practice jerseys in Morgantown, but he’s dialed back that ritual in Chapel Hill. He hasn’t dialed down the intensity. In the Tar Heels’ 80-62 win against USC Upstate on Dec. 13 at the Smith Center, the sophomore wing scored a season-high 17 points off the bench to match the career-best mark he set as a freshman with the Mountaineers.
“If he keeps making shots, he can rip all the jerseys he wants,” Davis said with a smile during his postgame press conference.
Powell hasn’t ripped a jersey since the preseason, but he ripped the net for No. 15/14 UNC (9-1) against the Spartans (6-6), burying a trio of 3-pointers and adding a big-time dunk for four of his six baskets. “If it’s an off day or good day, I know the work that I put in every day, after practice, before practice, late at night,” said Powell, who had the most points for a UNC reserve this season.
“So really, it’s just coming with the same mindset and confidence each game of staying ready, going out there and playing my game. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help my team win. I’m glad I was able to help them (against USC Upstate).”
Powell also logged two steals. His defense, which he believes is “something that’s slept on,” is an element of his game that he knows keeps him on the court and in the rotation.
His overall attitude and production provided an edge and competitiveness that stood out for UNC in a game that lacked enthusiasm for a full 40 minutes against the spunky Spartans (6-6). The Tar Heels’ lackadaisical approach at times got Davis fired up throughout the game.
With the Tar Heels up 14 at the under-8 timeout, Davis was punching the air and yelling at his team as they came to the bench. Once he sat down in his chair during the timeout huddle, wiping sweat off his face with a towel, Davis spiked the towel and a clipboard as he hounded his players.
There were, he said, “a lot of bejeebies’” and a “what in the world” uttered during that timeout. That’s as close as Davis gets to cussing as a coach. “Energy, effort, attention to detail and enthusiasm,” Davis said, are UNC’s “non-negotiables” on the court. “You can’t use the excuse that we had final exams. I’m married and I’ve got three kids. I got prepared for this game.”
Following the heated timeout, reserve center James Brown hit the floor for a loose ball and Davis turned to the crowd to inspire the proper reaction, raising his arms in an attempt to pump up the fans.
“I was animated there because that was hustle,” Davis said. “It might not show up on Instagram stories, but I thought it was the biggest play of the game, because someone dove on the floor.”
Powell played with a similar effort in 24 minutes off the bench. But where does that consistent competitiveness come from? “I think it’s really just knowing who you’re playing for. I know I’m trying to feed my family. Everything my mom (Tracy) done for me, I think that’s what really builds that edge for me,” Powell said. “That, with a mixture of loving the game, is really what creates the love and passion for me to go out every game and play with that fire.”
UNC did some other good things against the Spartans, assisting on 20 of its 28 baskets while finishing with a season-low six turnovers. But the Tar Heels only won the rebounding battle by three and were beaten 11-7 on the offensive glass. That, for Davis, was an “unacceptable” statistic. And he had some concerns coming into the game because of what happened leading into it.
“I just didn’t feel like the practices leading up to the game were at the level of attention to detail that’s required to put yourself in position to be successful,” Davis said, adding that “it’s a tremendous lesson” as far as seeing the the “connection” with preparation in practice and how that translates to games.
Missed shots happen. Turnovers happen. But the “non-negiotables,” Davis said, have to be there. That’s what he likes most about what Powell brings to the program and what he gave UNC against USC Upstate. “He definitely contributes to that. It’s one of the reasons I love coaching him. He has that competitive fight and spirit that I think you have to have to even have a chance to play at this level,” Davis said.
“He really cares about this team and wants to do well, and wants to be a big part of it. I’m an emotional person, which makes me an emotional coach. I like emotional players. I don’t know how you do something – anything that’s worth anything – something that you love with people that you love at a place that you love without emotion. I don’t know how you can do that. To see Jonathan play that way, I really like it.”
