The 2021 college basketball offseason is going to be a wild ride.
With seniors able to return for an extra year of eligibility, and the expected passage of a rule providing for a one-time exception to the requirement that transfers sit out a season, what rosters will look like in the fall is anyone’s guess.
With just one class of 2021 high school signee, Indiana is expected to have available scholarships and be active in the offseason transfer market. In an ongoing series we will be bringing you intriguing prospects as they arise.
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Indiana showed heavy interest in Kentucky based class of 2020 guard Justin Powell when he was a high school recruit. But not long after IU’s involvement began to intensify, Powell committed to Auburn. On Tuesday he entered the transfer portal.
Powell appeared in ten games for Auburn this year as a freshman, starting seven times. He averaged 11.7 points in 27.5 minutes per contest. Powell shot 42.9 percent from the field overall including 44.2 percent from 3-point range. He added 6.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.6 turnovers and .9 steals per game for the Tigers.
His freshman campaign was limited to just ten games due to a concussion that has held him out of competition since January 2.
Labeled as a four-star prospect by ESPN and a three-star prospect by 247Sports and Rivals, Powell was tabbed as the No. 76 player in the country by ESPN and No. 151 by 247Sports. As a senior at North Oldham, Powell earned all-state and all-league honors after averaging 24.7 points on 59% shooting to go with 8.7 rebounds per game.
Powell played two years at Trinity High School in Louisville before transferring to Montverde Academy in Florida for his junior season. He left Montverde to play for North Oldham as a senior. For AAU Powell played with Indy Heat in the Nike EYBL circuit where he averaged 13.2 points and shot 50 percent from the floor including 55 percent from 3. He also averaged 2.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
Powell chose Auburn over offers from Cincinnati, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech and Xavier. Several other programs were showing interest including Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio State, Purdue and Syracuse.
Powell is best known as a perimeter shooter, and he combines that with the length and versatility that Indiana is seeking to enhance their roster going forward. On paper he looks like the ideal addition for the Hoosiers, but expect the competition from home state schools Kentucky and Louisville to be stiff, along with interest from top high major programs around the country.
See also: Transfer portal names to know — Pitt point guard Xavier Johnson
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