That shouldn’t be noteworthy, but, ironically, it is.
College athletic departments, in general, responded to this age of technology expanded communication by restricting athlete access. It’s similar to the irony of reaching people by cell phones compared to yesteryear when your phone was plugged into the wall. People carry a phone with them, but they aren’t always available. They can screen calls on a cell phone. They may or may not answer.
North Carolina didn’t screen Powell and Dixon until later in the season.
Powell, a sophomore transfer portal addition from West Virginia, and Dixon, an incoming freshman from Gonzaga College High in Washington, D.C., are first-year players for the Tar Heels. They took individual turns seated at a table before an assembled media that included three rows of writers along with TV cameramen and photographers.
“This is most definitely a little different for me than last year,” Powell said. “So, being able to do this, I’m grateful to be in this position.”
Added Dixon, “I think it’s really good. This is obviously new for me. It’s a good experience to get some training and get to know some familiar faces.”
They answered similar questions that senior Seth Trimble, junior transfer Henri Veesar and Davis will hear on at the ACC Tipoff on Tuesday in Charlotte.
Powell and Dixon may be new to Chapel Hill, but they’ve been working out with their new teammates during open gym since the summer. A couple weeks into the start of practice, they spoke as if they had a good handle on how their game can expand and benefit the team.
Powell, a 6-foot-6, 190-pound small forward, believes he can add to his game beyond his catch-and-shoot three-point shooter role at West Virginia.
“Coach Davis sees the potential in me to not just shoot the ball,” Powell said. “He’s giving me freedom and space to be able to do that. Each day I look to get better to create for my teammates. I want to show I can put the ball on the ground and not just be a shooter.”
West Virginia recruited Powell out of Centerville, Ohio, where he was the state’s Division I Player of the Year while averaging 19.7 points a game. With the Mountaineers last season, he moved into the starting role for the final 23 games of the season that finished with a 19-13 overall record and 10-10 mark in Big 12 play.
Powell’s season average was 8.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in 30.1 minutes per game, but he hit three or more three-pointers 10 times and multiple three-pointers 19 times.
Dixon, a 6-5, 200-pound guard who was the Gatorade Player of the Year for the District of Columbia, was relied on as a scorer at in high school. But he liked during the recruiting process that Davis believed he could expand his game.
“I was looking to becoming more of a point guard,” Dixon said. “It’s been good to get that experience and have the ball in my hand more and making sure I’m leader. Point guard you have to talk, know all the reads and get people where they’re supposed to be.”
Both Powell and Dixon cited their versatility along with other players on the roster as a team identity.
“We have a chance to be a really good team,” Dixon said. “We’ve got size and length and shooting and a lot of competitive guys. I feel like we clicked early this summer. It hasn’t been a struggle to mesh together.”
Powell and Dixon provided thoughtful answers that provided a glimpse of their personality and their evaluation of the team coming together. So, why aren’t other college programs as trustworthy with early access to players?
They fear something like Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos popping off with comments that go viral. But Castellanos said it at the ACC Kickoff when he’s supposed to be a veteran in a controlled environment. Castellanos got away with saying Alabama didn’t have Nick Saban to save them when Florida State upset Alabama in the season opener, but last week the Seminoles lost to Virginia and then went down to Miami.
North Carolina trusted Powell and Dixon in front of the microphone.
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