NEWARK — Seton Hall signee Myles Powell sat courtside at the Prudential Center on Sunday for the Pirates 90-81 victory over No. 5 Xavier that appeared to clinch an NCAA Tournament berth.
It was Senior Day for graduating guard Derrick Gordon, and Powell sees himself fitting into that role next season when he will join a talented core of sophomores including Isaiah Whitehead, Desi Rodriguez, Angel Delgado, Khadeen Carrington and Ismael Sanogo.
“[Gordon] will be be gone so most likely it looks like I’ll be filling in his role and that’s some big shoes but I think I’ll be ready,” Powell told SNY.tv.
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Powell left South Kent (Conn.) last week after re-injuring the left foot he broke in October and plans to recover and rehab at home in New Jersey until going to Seton Hall this summer.
“I just tweaked it a little bit and my doctor and Jim [Salmon of the NJ Playaz] thought it would be best that I just took a month off so that’s why I left,” he said. “I graduated already from Trenton Catholic Academy last year so there really wasn’t [any] point in me staying.”
Powell originally broke his left foot on Oct. 18.
“I was playing on it, playing on it and then I nudged it a little bit and it was feeling weird so my doctor just said take a couple weeks off,” Powell added. “The season is toward the end and Coach [Kelvin] Jeff[erson] and Jim and Seton Hall said it was best to just take time off.”
Jefferson declined comment for this story.
Powell initially committed to Seton Hall last September before signing in November and remains their lone commit in the Class of 2016.
With the NJ Playaz last summer on the Nike EYBL circuit, he averaged 18.5 points, 4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game in 20 games. Powell also shot 44 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3-point range.
“Myles Powell is the best shooter in the country, period,” Salmon said when he committed. “His game will transcend to the next level” at Seton Hall.
“Myles is a tremendous player with a tremendous feel for the game,” Jefferson said then. “He is recognized by many as the No. 1 shooter in the country but he does so much more. He can handle the ball, really passes the ball and has a very high IQ. He plays with a chip on his shoulder and I think Seton Hall got a great player for the next four years.”
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