Seton Hall basketball lands ace shooter Myles Powell
A few years back, as a sophomore basketball player at Trenton Catholic, Myles Powell’s first major Division I scholarship offer came from Seton Hall.
He did not forget it.
Now at South Kent (Conn.) and one of the best shooters in the nation, the senior guard rewarded the Pirates with a verbal commitment Saturday.
“They were with me the whole way,” Powell said via phone shortly after he announced his commitment on twitter, credited associated head coach Shaheen Holloway with laying the groundwork. “My relationship with Coach Shaheen is great. He’s like a brother to me.”
Powell is the Pirates’ first Class of 2016 commitment and takes the only available scholarship for next season. This is college basketball, though, so things are fluid. He visited visited campus Thursday through Saturday with Bryce Aiken, a highly regarded point guard from St. Patrick who also is considering Harvard.
“I told Bryce, I want him to be my point guard,” Powell said. “I hope he makes the same great decision I made.”
Assuming there are no unexpected departures, Powell’s addition gives the Hall a backcourt with great firepower next winter. Current sophomores Isaiah Whitehead and Khadeen Carrington showed impressive flashes as freshman. What the 6-foot-1 Powell brings to the table, though, is unique: An ability to hit consistently from deep.
“He’s one of the best shooters in the East if not the country,” said NJHoops.com publisher Jay Gomes, the Garden State’s foremost talent evaluator. “Just a great shooter. He’s got great range and he’s good off the dribble creating space for himself. He can shoot comfortably five feet behind the arc.”
ESPN.com’s scouting report corroborates that, saying Powell is “virtually automatic when his feet are set and already owns range out to the NBA arc. He's very adept at getting his shot off in a number of ways and is equally capable of coming off screens, pulling up from deep off the dribble or finding a spot in transition.”
ESPN summarized: “He doesn't fit the physical or athletic profile of a high-major prospect but he has one special skill that he does as well, if not better, than any other prospect in the country and so he's the exception to the rule.”
The commitment represents a big win for head coach Kevin Willard, who is coming off a sour finish to the 2014-15 season and had hit a bit of a dry spell on the recruiting front. In addition to being ranked No. 100 in the Class of 2016 by Rivals.com, Powell fits a need on a roster with no proven collegiate sharpshooters.
“Coach Willard told me he wants me to shoot,” said Powell, who said he’s always been a marksman, from the days of growing up with a hoop in the driveway. “But I can also get to the rim. I’ll do whatever coach asks.”
Powell also considered Connecticut, Virginia Commonwealth, DePaul and Pittsburgh. Ultimately the allure of staying close to home----“this is great because my family and friends can see me play,” he said---and rewarding the school that noticed him first sealed the deal.
Staff writer Jerry Carino: jcarino@gannettnj.com.