Hubert Davis Likens UNC Freshman to Michael Jordan

After dropping a nail-biter to Kansas in an instant classic last week, North Carolina got back on track at home against American. The Eagles were one of the slowest teams in the country heading into the game, and the Tar Heels masterfully didn't allow themselves to get stuck in a slog. They ended up dominating the whole way through, but their 64-21 second half was particularly spectacular on their way to a 107-55 win.

One of the brightest spots for the Tar Heels was the performance of their talented freshman, Drake Powell. The 6'6 shooting guard had a quiet offensive game, finishing with seven points on 2-of-5 shooting, but had the play of the night at the start of the second half when he came down with a two-handed block on a fast break.

This was the second time in three games that he has blocked a shot and caught it with two hands afterward, flashing ridiculous athleticism. This feat received praise from UNC head coach Hubert Davis, who said he had not seen that since Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan and Hubert Davis were teammates in the NBA during the 2001-02 season with the Wizards. The UNC head coach was able to see greatness up close.

"Last time I can remember that was MJ doing that when we played together with the Wizards. We were playing the Chicago Bulls, and they were going in for a layup on me. They would have easily scored, because there's no way I was going to do anything. And Michael, at 40, came from nowhere and grabbed it with two hands."

- Hubert Davis

Davis said that Powell consistently does stuff that they didn't teach him and that he is only starting to scratch the surface. The five-star recruit finished the game with three blocks and a steal to go with his 11 rebounds. He brings a ton of athleticism and intensity off the bench so far but it's only a matter of time before he could crack the starting lineup.

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