The novel coronavirus pandemic took away Myles Powell’s postseason, but he’s not headed to the professional ranks empty-handed. The Seton Hall superstar guard from Trenton will be leaving the New Jersey school with plenty of hardware.
Powell’s latest honor was the Jerry West Award, given to the nation’s top shooting guard, it was announced Tuesday afternoon.
The 6-foot-2 Powell adds it to his collection that includes the Big East Player of the Year, an Associated Press First Team selection and a Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy finalist. Powell beat out Georgia freshman and potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick Anthony Edwards, Creighton’s Ty-Shon Alexander, Arkansas’s Mason Jones and Butler’s Kamar Baldwin.
“He didn’t shy away from the big moments, always willing to put up the critical shots and bringing an unparalleled level of energy to his team every game,” said West, an NBA Hall of Famer.
Despite suffering a serious concussion in December and battling knee tendinitis throughout February, Powell averaged 21.0 points per game, second-most in the league and 18th-best in the country and was tied for 10th in assists (3.4) and tied for eighth in steals (1.4) in conference play. Powell finished as the school’s third all-time leading scorer with 2,252 points and first in 3-pointers made with 348. Before the virus led to the season’s cancellation, Powell had Seton Hall set to reach a program-record fifth straight NCAA Tournament and almost certainly its highest seed since 1993.
A projected mid-to-late second round pick, Powell currently is in the process of selecting an agent.