PBC Senior Spotlight: Myles Powell

​Myles Powell is a certified bucket, ranking 5th in points per game among all returning NCAA players. He averaged 23.1 PPG in his junior campaign while earning multiple awards including: Unanimous All-Big East First Team and AP All-America Honorable Mention. His offensive prowess landed him an invitation to the 2019 NBA G League Elite Camp where he tested the Draft waters under the representation of Roc Nation agent, Sam Permut. Powell ultimately elected to return to school and will have the opportunity to lead a talented Seton Hall team on a quest for a Big East championship and NCAA tourney run. While he will need to show improvement in certain areas to solidify his profile as a potential draftee, Powell’s leadership and scoring ability are unquestioned. The 2019-20 Preseason Big East Player of the Year is currently 831 points away from becoming Seton Hall’s all-scoring leader, and while that would require an elite season-long performance, it’s certainly not out of the question.

Tale of the Tape

Shooting/Scoring Versatility
Powell is a truly gifted shooter. Last season, Powell ranked as a 94th percentile spot-up shooter and a 92nd percentile catch-and-shoot shooter. This competency as an off-ball shooting threat projects strongly to the next level. He has a palpable confidence about him, similar to Carsen Edwards last season. There’s no shot he’s afraid to take, and he’s always up for the challenge of taking the high pressure, crunch-time shots for his team. 

At 6’2”, Powell is a bit undersized for an NBA shooting guard, but his shot mechanics and versatility help him overcome that. His release is really smooth with beautiful arc on the shot, and he elevates fairly quickly so his jumper is rather difficult to contest. Powell has also shown that having a hand in his face doesn’t bother him all that much, as he scored at a 1.25 PPP clip on ‘guarded’ shots last season. While he doesn’t have elite athleticism or breakaway speed, he’s intelligent in how he runs off of screens. Powell is, perhaps, the country’s most dynamic off-movement shooter, as the PBC Scouting Team dove into within a Film Room Friday analysis last season. His off-ball movement not only aids him in creating his own open looks, but this movement, in conjunction with his shooting gravity, creates slip opportunities for teammates.

An underrated ancillary part of this offensive package is his ability to create and draw fouls at the point of attack. Though not an elite finisher at the rim, he’s clever in how he sells contact on threes and baits his man to reach when driving the lane. Powell has a fairly sturdy frame and absorbs contact well despite his lack of size/length. 
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In the clip below, we highlight Powell’s shooting ability, specifically in catch-and-shoot scenarios.

Passing Vision
An underrated passer, Powell is a high IQ player that, despite being asked to carry such a heavy offensive load, does a really nice job of attacking with his head up. He continues to see the floor well when creating for himself, making him a perpetual threat to facilitate to open teammates when help defenders shade his direction. Powell averaged only 2.9 assists last season in a high usage role last season, but there were intriguing vision flashes indicative of potential improvement as a creator for others. 

Though not known as a high-level decision-maker, he has a natural feel for timing his actions in a way that forces the defense to make decisions and rotate out of position. Coming off screens and handoffs, rollmen can expect a sharp snap pass if their defender overhelps. Powell has also shown the ability to deliver quick touch passes when the situation calls for it. That being said, he also has a good sense of when to take his time, pull it back, and not force a difficult, high-risk pass. The context of Powell’s necessitated scoring load within Seton Hall’s offense often boxes him into taking difficult shots, but he prefers to see the entire floor and find the best opportunity to score. Powell’s IQ and vision could very well translate to the next level when surrounded by more competent scoring threats.

Powell is a player who excels in a high usage primary creator role on the college level. He not only has a versatile isolation self-creation repertoire, but has shown flashes of high-level vision at the point of attack by zipping kickout dimes to outside shooters and pocket passes to rolling bigs. Though he certainly wouldn’t be considered a true point guard, his gifts as a creator for others are often overshadowed by his outlier off-movement shooting. As an undersized two, continued growth as a passer and decision-maker this season could significantly bolster his offensive translatability to the next level.
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In the clip below, we highlight Powell’s vision in finding the open man.

PBC Prediction

Expect another explosive scoring output from Powell this season. Seton Hall should be contenders for the Big East title, and will be undoubtedly fueled by Powell’s electric offensive arsenal. Seton Hall’s projected team success, in conjunction with Powell’s seemingly inevitably elite statistical profile, will make him a legitimate contender for National Player of the Year.
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If you need a player who can heat up in an instant and give you points, Myles Powell is your guy. As a senior on the cusp of teams’ NBA Draft boards, Powell projects to be invited to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament next April and will be a likely standout if he and his agent accept the invitation. He’s an absolute shoe-in for making a Summer League roster and his playing style is conducive to thriving in that environment. If he can tighten things up on the defensive end and show evidence of more consistent decision-making chops, Powell has the upside to earn himself a two-way contract or even be selected in the 2nd Round.

*Statistics courtesy of SportsReference and Synergy Sports Technology

Derek and his wife Katherine currently reside in Oklahoma City. Derek works as an Account Manager in the OKC Thunder retention department, managing 400+ season ticket clients. Derek entered the world of talent evaluation in 2017, has scouted multiple Summer Leagues & Portsmouth Invitationals, hand has written for FanSided & NetScouts Basketball Derek also runs his own NBA Draft website, The Blueprint NBA. Originally from Cleveland, TN, Derek Graduated from Lee University with a degree in Business Administration. Derek and Katherine give all glory to God and are grateful to everyone who has helped them along the way.
Follow Derek on Twitter @dmurrayNBA.

Jon Chepkevich serves as the Director of Scouting for the Professional Basketball Combine. In his role at Stats Perform, Jon reviews the financial terms/profitability of customer contracts, develops NBA minutes projections, and works with the basketball data group to enhance the Stats Perform NBA Draft model. When he isn't in the office, Jon enjoys Chicago's competitive pick-up hoops scene, dissecting NBA Draft prospects as a credentialed scout, watching Notre Dame football, and spending time with his wife, Andrea, and dog, Ruthie.
Follow Jon on Twitter @JonChep.

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