In his words…it was a Jankyman move. Duncan Powell entered the transfer portal this spring from Georgia Tech and originally committed to Georgetown. It seemed to be the perfect replacement for the Hoyas after losing Drew Fielder. He was the natural stretch 4 successor in DC.
That replacement was short lived as Powell came to his senses and decided to decommit from Cooley and the Hoyas to follow Jason Edwards, Jaylin Sellers and others to Friartown. Before even getting to campus, Powell ingratiated himself with Friar fans by making such a move. Since that time, the legend of the Jankyman has grown with his unique presence on social media.
Friar fans are chomping at the bit to see Powell in a Friar uniform. His debut in the exhibition against Pitt only heightened the build-up, as he dropped 17 and was 4-8 from deep. He filled a crucial need in the frontcourt by also tallying 10 rebounds.
We break down our expectations for him below.
While he would’ve been a welcome addition to Georgetown, the Friars will certainly take a guy with Duncan’s skillset. The 6-8 NCAA journeyman gives the Friars a dimension they haven’t had since Noah Horchler was swishing threes from the 4 spot in a Sweet 16 matchup against Kansas.
Powell was a top-100 recruit out of high school and initially committed to Arkansas. However, injuries would lead him to never making it to Fayetteville, and he instead enrolled at NC A&T. After two seasons there he transferred to Sacramento State where he developed into an instant contributor for the Hornets. Last offseason he transferred to Georgia Tech.
At Tech, Powell was initially a player off the bench but towards the end of the season became the Yellow Jackets best player. He would average 16 ppg over his final 16 games. He gave eventual ACC champion Duke a run for their money in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament with a 24 point and 6 rebound effort against the Dukies and their contingent of first rounders.
Powell would go on to finish second in ACC 6th Man of the Year voting and averaged 12 pts and 5 rebounds for the season.
Could we see a similar stat line this year? Easily.
As mentioned, Powell is a great stretch 4 man. He is a really good shooter from 3 (36%) and shows a face up game as well. He provides solid work on the rebounding front and can defend multiple positions. He should slide into the starting 4 spot and give the Friars another scoring threat for the opposition to be concerned about. Beyond the basketball skills, Powell brings the Friars a little bit of swagger and confidence. We’ve talked about the dire need of that to be infused into this program after lacking it last season.
I like that Powell can stretch the floor for Providence. English wants to play with pace and space, and a frontcourt player who can threaten from deep will give Edwards, Floyd, and Sellers (amongst others) less clogged driving lanes. If help D is needed, the floor is spaced in such a way that should allow the driver to kick to an open man. A stretch 4 who can defend in the post while stepping out to the perimeter is a nightmare for the opposition and unlocks so much schematically for English.
I like that Powell, simply put, is a grown ass man. We need more guys who aren’t going to get pushed around and manhandled in the post. Powell will be able to not only hold his ground, but will proactively be physical with the opposition. Providence needed a few bruisers with an attitude, and Powell and Hargrove both seem to be frontcourt players who fit that bill. Less finesse, more violence.
I’m also curious if Kim English gets in the lab and runs Powell as the 5 in spurts. He can run an offensive line-up of Edwards, Sellers, Floyd Jr., Jamier, and Powell that get out in the open space. Powell has the size and physicality to play the 5 in a pinch, despite suboptimal height as the 5, and this line-up would put bigger defenders in a total bind. Something to consider…
From afar it appears Powell is a bit of an odd ball between his social media posts and his unique personality. While he can appear to be a bit of a court jester, on the basketball court he’s all business. This is a welcome thing for a Friars squad last season that seemed to lack personality, confidence and a true identity.
When we look back on this upcoming season Duncan Powell will prove to be a crucial addition to this team with his skillset and personality. It also helps that he leaves the Hoyas with a massive hole in the frontcourt.
We are definitely excited for what Powell will bring to Friartown on and off the court.
Go Friars!
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