Auburn transfer guard Justin Powell announced his commitment to Tennessee on Saturday morning, posting to both Twitter and Instagram. Powell played just 10 games this past fall on the Plains.
rocky top?? pic.twitter.com/DajU3q6tJC
— Justin Powell (@jtpowell241) April 3, 2021
The Prospect, Kentucky native was a four-star prospect coming out of North Oldham High School. Powell was ranked as the No. 76 player in the country by ESPN and No. 151 by 247Sports. ESPN considered him the top prospect coming out of Kentucky.
Powell made seven starts in the 10 games he appeared in before suffering a head injury that ultimately sidelined him for the entire season. He averaged 11.7 points in 27.5 minutes before suffering the injury. Powell scored a season-high 26 points in 33 minutes in a 74-74 win over Memphis. He also had eight rebounds, two assists and a steal.
The 6-foot-6 guard shot 42.9% from the field and 44.2% from behind the three-point line. Powell shot 76.5% from the free throw line while averaging 6.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He tallied nine steals.
Tennessee’s roster will look quite different next season. All-SEC Freshman guard Jaden Springer has already declared for the NBA Draft, while Davonte Gaines and Drew Pember have each entered the NCAA transfer portal, respectively. Fellow All-SEC Freshman guard Keon Johnson is expected to declare for the draft at some point as well.
Even Tennessee’s coaching staff will have a different look. Assistant Kim English took the head coaching job at George Mason and its been reported that fellow assistant Desmond Oliver is the frontrunner for the East Tennessee State job.
