Class of 2020 Names to Know: Kiyron Powell

With recruiting back in full swing and attention quickly starting to shift to the class of 2020, The Daily Hoosier will be following the key names to know on the radar of the Indiana basketball program.

Class of 2020 big man Kiyron Powell may be the best Indiana high school basketball player that people outside of the southwestern part of the state don’t yet know about.

But the drumbeat is growing louder — and Powell appears to be on a fast track to being a name that everyone knows by this time next year.

The noise coming out of the Evansville area couldn’t be any louder.

N.D. Kendrick, who operates Pocket City Basketball, recently listed the 6-foot-10 Powell on Twitter as the top player in the 2020 class that will be playing their high school basketball in Indiana next year.

Nick Baumgaurt, who is with ESPN Radio and played for the University of Evansville, indicated on Twitter that Powell is “the only player in the state of Indiana last season to average 10 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 6 blocks per game.”

According to MaxPreps, the exact numbers are 10.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 6.8 blocks per contest.

It’s that last statistic that has garnered the most attention so far.

The bottom line with Powell?  His game is very good but in some regards still a work in progress.  But he already has one high major Division One talent — blocking shots.

The Bosse High School product’s length and shot blocking prowess is catching the eye of several big programs, with offers rolling in from the likes of Georgetown, Xavier and Kansas State.

You can’t necessarily teach rim protection.  And you also can’t underestimate its effect on the game.

Look at the impact that even a marginal athlete like Purdue’s Matt Haarms has on games with his ability to block shots.

Powell is no marginal athlete, and he has a chance this spring and summer to demonstrate to programs like Indiana that have yet to offer that he can develop the rest of his game and become a high impact player in the Big Ten.

The Evansville native will be competing at the highest levels of AAU basketball, playing with the Indy Heat on the Nike EYBL circuit.  If Powell can show coaches that he can compete against that caliber of talent while demonstrating more versatility, you can expect his recruitment to explode.

While Powell plays center at Bosse, he’ll likely need to move off the block at the next level.  More than anything else, that is what college coaches are likely to be looking for during AAU play.

According to his high school coach, the evolution of Powell’s game beyond the post is well underway.

Bosse head coach Shane Burkhart told Baumgart this about Powell’s development as a shooter, “He’s becoming extremely accurate from 15-17 feet. We are working on expanding it out to 20-plus.”

Archie Miller and the IU staff have been in contact with Powell and he attended an Indiana game in March.  If he can demonstrate his growth as a shooter this spring and summer, a Hoosier offer is likely to follow.

(Video via 247Sports)

Note:  Powell and the Indy Heat will be playing in the Indianapolis area the weekend of May 10.

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