As a highly regarded freshman class prepares to take the stage in the 2025 college season, top-end prospects like Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey seem to be the prizes in the upcoming draft. This is completely understandable, as they appear to have two of the highest upsides in this draft. However, North Carolina’s Drake Powell may be closer to the top than people realize. While he is a bit more raw than other projected top-five picks, he possesses the two-way upside to become one of the more valuable players available.

Powell stands out defensively, combining a strong and lengthy frame with elite athleticism, both vertically and laterally. He excels at jumping passing lanes after making off-ball reads that feel far more developed than those of a typical high school standout. His athleticism is also evident when defending the rim, whether through weak-side help or open-court chase-downs, which he times perfectly. The consistency of these chase-down blocks is eye-catching; he seems to float in the air and demolishes shot attempts with one or both hands. His on-ball defense is extremely promising as well; he uses his high motor, quick feet and physicality to stay with a wide range of opponents, making them noticeably uncomfortable.

The offensive side of the ball is where the raw aspects of his game can stand out at times. Starting with his shooting, Powell has been streaky throughout his high school career. Despite this inconsistency, his year-to-year improvements are very noticeable, pointing to his long-term potential and showcasing his elite work ethic. Young prospects who clearly acknowledge their weaknesses and are willing to work on improvements early are extremely encouraging, and Powell seems like a great example of this. He will play his freshman season with a loaded North Carolina roster, which raises questions about how much he will be used and what type of role he will fill in his first season. This may leave his draft range somewhat uncertain, possibly leading to him being selected based purely on potential. Regardless of how productive he is throughout his freshman year, Powell’s physical impact makes him comparable to versatile NBA defenders with impressive athleticism, like Houston’s Tari Eason.

He is a good driver and can finish with finesse or powerful dunks after penetrating the lane. One standout tool is his level of explosiveness when attacking from the triple threat. He can blow past defenders with his first step after lulling them to sleep with patient pivots along the perimeter. He will need to continue improving how quickly he decides to drive during his freshman year, as the level of competition will be much more capable of cutting off these drives. He also excels when driving along the baseline, where Powell can create highlights and finish over defenders at the rim.

Another interesting aspect of his game, which is still somewhat up in the air, is his court vision. As the primary offensive option throughout his high school career, defenses sold out to slow him down, creating easier looks for his teammates. He has shown flashes of being able to spot teammates and deliver the ball quickly for open looks following cuts and off-ball relocations. While he does force passes at times, giving opposing teams transition opportunities, his vision and feel are at a good spot in terms of long-term potential. Although passing will likely never be his primary role, he has the potential to serve as a great connective passer along the perimeter.

The 2025 NBA draft has made a lot of noise as the freshman class appears to be one of the most loaded in recent memory. This makes the upcoming college season extremely interesting as these players will be competing for high draft selections and thanks to the intriguing two-way upside of Drake Powell, his ceiling could be as high as anyone.

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US Vice President Kamala Harris took her second trip in four days to a state ravaged by Hurricane Helene. On Saturday, the Democratic presidential nominee met victims and first responders in North Carolina as US President Joe Biden’s administration tries to combat criticisms and claims that their response to the storm is too anaemic.

Harris paid a trip to a North Carolina Air National Guard base at Charlotte’s airport, where she received a briefing alongside a phalanx of state elected officials. The guard has been responsible for lifting more than 100,000 pounds of food to parts of the state most heavily affected by Hurricane Helene.

Today, I announced that the Biden-Harris Administration will provide $100 million to repair I-40, a major artery for western North Carolina.

We will stand with North Carolina and every state affected by this storm for the long haul. pic.twitter.com/tk8qXoUI9S

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— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) October 6, 2024

“The work that’s happening here that is so positively impacting so many people is really an example of the best we can do when we bring resources together at the federal, state and local level — and tap into the kind of collegiality that produces results,” she said during the briefing, T_he Washington Post_ reported.

Harris meets the storm-affected families

During the meeting, the vice president noted that she had spoken with many of the officials at the table earlier while the hurricane was wreaking havoc in the southeastern US states. “I think that these moments of crisis bring out some of the best of who we could be and who we are,” Harris continued.

The 59-year-old prosecutor-turned-politician also met a family who had to temporarily relocate from western North Carolina to Charlotte with their 6-month-old child, and another person who helped with “lifesaving recovery efforts during flooding,” according to the vice president’s office. In the past, hurricanes turned out to be a litmus test for different administrations, reflecting their competence or lack thereof in a crisis.

Last week, Trump attempted to paint Biden’s response to Hurricane Helene as “lackluster” without providing any evidence to support his claims. Helene made landfall Thursday and carved a path of destruction through six states, killing more than 200 people and is now touted as one of the deadliest storms in modern times.

Following the briefing to the vice president, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said on Saturday afternoon that at least 68 people were killed in the state due to the storm. On the same day, Harris announced that Mecklenburg County, which includes the state’s largest city of Charlotte, had been added to the federal disaster declaration.

The political side of it all

It is important to note that there is a political calculus behind Harris’s visit to storm-stricken states. The states of North Carolina and Georgia are battleground states coveted by both parties in a race that is essentially tied. While addressing a rally in Michigan, the former president falsely claimed that the government could not adequately fund the storm response because it had used Federal Emergency Management Agency money on migrants “who came into the country illegally.” He claimed the White House is missing a billion dollars that was used for migrants.

However, there is no concrete evidence that states that the Biden administration has used that money for the migrants. In reality, the Trump administration in 2019 told Congress that it was taking $271 million from Department of Homeland Security programs, including $155 million from the disaster fund, to pay for immigration detention space, The Washington Post reported.

While Harris was visiting North Carolina, the Republican presidential nominee addressed a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the same place where he witnessed an assassination attempt against him.

While addressing the rally, Trump pledged to never quit. “Exactly 12 weeks ago this evening, on this very ground, a cold-blooded assassin aimed to silence me,” the Republican candidate told tens of thousands of supporters after taking the stage behind bulletproof glass.

Calling the gunman a “vicious monster,” Trump vowed he would “never quit… never bend… never break” to cheers of “fight, fight, fight” from the crowd. The former president was joined by billionaire Elon Musk who said that Trump “must win to save democracy.”

With inputs from agencies.

WASHINGTON – Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in North Carolina on Saturday to survey the catastrophic damage wrought by Hurricane Helene and console communities amid ongoing recovery efforts.

“I’ve been seeing and hearing the stories from here in North Carolina about strangers who are helping each other out, giving people assistance in every way that they need, including shelter, food and friendship and fellowship,” Harris said during a briefing at the North Carolina Air National Guard, according to a White House pool report.

Harris, the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, met with officials Saturday where she received updates on recovery efforts for the area and announced that Mecklenburg County, home to the battleground state’s largest city, Charlotte, had been added to the federal disaster declaration. 

The vice president on her tour of the state is expected to meet with residents impacted by the Category 4 storm – which has killed more than 200 people and left thousands without power or drinkable water since it made landfall along Florida’s Big Bend region on Sept. 26. Harris is also scheduled to provide updates on the federal emergency response efforts in North Carolina and other states in the Southeast.

Her visit comes exactly one month ahead of the 2024 presidential election, in which she is locked in a tight race against former President Donald Trump. North Carolina is viewed as a pivotal swing state, and the speed and effectiveness of Biden administration’s response efforts could have ramifications on the race.  

Trump has also visited disaster-struck regions in Georgia, Florida and North Carolina over the last few days.  

Upon arriving to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Harris was greeted on the tarmac by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Attorney General and gubernatorial hopeful Josh Stein, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, Rep. Alma Adams, D-N.C., Rep. Jeff Jackson, D-N.C., and Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles.

Catch up with the USA TODAY Network’s latest updates. 

President Joe Biden urged members of Congress to replenish critical disaster relief programs that have run out of money, or that soon could run out.

In a Friday night letter to congressional leaders, Biden warned that the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program is set to run out of funds in a matter of weeks. He also said the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief funds could face a shortfall by the end of the year. Biden called on Congress to restore funding and provide FEMA with additional resources.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has suggested Congress can wait until after the election to pass Hurricane relief measures.

– Karissa Waddick

As search and rescue teams continue to examine stream beds and debris piles across North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee, the toll of lives lost in Helene’s horrific flooding mounts daily. At least 214 people have died as a result of the storm. Hundreds are still missing and officials expect the number to rise.

But already Helene is the fourth deadliest landfalling hurricane in the mainland U.S. since 1950. It ranks behind Hurricane’s Katrina (2005), Audrey (1957 and Camille (1969).

– Dinah Voyles Pulver

Donald Trump is expected to hold a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday. The former president will return to the venue where he first survived an assassination attempt in July.

Trump held a campaign rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina on Friday evening.

– Karissa Waddick

Disaster politics are a staple of presidential elections, and this year is no different. With just a month to go until the election, Donald Trump has sought to make Biden and Harris’ Hurricane Helene a focus of the campaign.

“There’s nobody that’s handled a hurricane or storm worse than what they’re doing right now,” Trump said to supporters Thursday night in Saginaw, Michigan.

Trump’s indictment has included falsehoods – he claimed that federal disaster money went to migrants and that Georgia GOP Gov. Brian Kemp had trouble reaching Biden, but neither were the case – and the 2024 Republican nominee for the White House has been accused of playing politics with disaster relief during his presidency.

– David Jackson

Kamala Harris pledged “long lasting” federal support to get residents and neighborhoods battered by flooding from Helene “back up and running” during a visit to Augusta, Georgia earlier this week.

“We’re here for the long haul,” Harris said.

The Biden administration has so far approved requests from Georgia, Florida and North Carolina for the federal government to fully cover the state and local costs of debris removal, search and rescue efforts, mass-feeding and other hurricane-related emergency response activities.

– Joey Garrison