The Tennessee basketball program has announced the signing of Auburn transfer Justin Powell. The shooting guard has signed an financial aid agreement with Tennessee and plans to enroll this summer. This will benefit the Vols shooting efforts, as they look to get more out of their perimeter game.
“Justin is a savvy guard who plays very unselfishly and makes his teammates better,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said. “He’s got really good size and can play multiple guard spots. He’s also a proven shooter and knows how to move well without the ball in his hands. We’re really excited about his ability to make plays using screens off the ball and what that can do for us offensively.”
The NCAA adopted the new transfer rule for players last week, allowing a one time transfer. The SEC is expected to discuss the intra-conference policy soon.
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.
