If you’ve sat down to watch the Seton Hall Pirates play basketball at any point this season, there are some evident trends that stand out. We have come to expect domination in the post by Angel Delgado, the proclaimed best big man in the Big East, as he crashes the glass with great strength, tallying up double-doubles.
We have come to expect Khadeen Carrington putting on an offensive show, consistently scoring more than 20 points per game.
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Myles Powell could give Rutgers trouble from deep on Friday. © Joey Khan Photography[/caption]
While these players typically have consistent performances, one impact player for the Hall makes the ultimate difference when it comes to a win or a loss. That player is freshman guard Myles Powell.
Powell came to SHU as a four-star recruit from Trenton, N.J. His ESPN scouting report had high praises for the 6-foot, 2-inch guard.
“Powell is one of the best three-point shooters in the country,” ESPN’s scouting report said. “He’s virtually automatic when his feet are set and already owns range out to the NBA arc.”
Powell is without question a deadeye shooter, and it became evident in just his third collegiate game when he hit five threes in a 26-point outburst against Iowa. Where the problem in Powell’s game arises is his inconsistency. It may not be the sole reason for the Pirates’ roller coaster season, yet Powell’s performance in wins compared to losses differ significantly.
In Seton Hall’s 19 wins this season, Powell is shooting 44 percent from the field. In the Pirates’ 10 losses, he is shooting just 31 percent. Furthermore, he is shooting 37 percent from deep in the Hall’s wins this season, compared to just 24 percent in 10 losses. His scoring is also slightly larger in victories, as he averages 11 points per game in wins, as opposed to 9.8 points per game in losses.
It shows that, much like Seton Hall’s season, Powell’s performance is unpredictable. As has been proven so far, if Powell has an off night, it has usually meant that it will be a rough night for the Pirates too.
In Seton Hall’s 10 losses this campaign, Powell scored in double digits in three of them, including his career-high tying 26 points against Xavier last month. In most of the Hall’s wins this season, Powell has played an integral role in the victory, especially as of late. He scored 14 points back on Feb. 8 against Providence, including the game-winner in overtime. On Feb. 25 against DePaul, Powell had 15 points on 5-9 shooting in the Pirates’ three-point victory.
However, in the most recent home games for the Hall, in which SHU went 3-1, Powell struggled. In the Pirates’ wins against Creighton and Xavier, Powell had six and eight points, respectively. It took a monster 41-point performance by Carrington against Creighton and a 25-point, 13-rebound performance for Delgado against Xavier to pull out slim victories. On Feb. 28 against Georgetown, Powell scored just seven points on 3-12 shooting. It took a 27-point explosion from Desi Rodriguez for the Pirates to pull out the victory.
As of late, unless another Pirate puts on a stellar performance, a low output from Powell typically is bad news for the Pirates. Powell is a key asset to this team, providing scoring off the bench. As the Pirates enter the most important stretch of their season, it is imperative that Powell becomes a consistent contributor on offense going into the Big East Tournament.
Matt Ambrose is a journalism major from Exeter, N.H. He can be reached at matthew.ambrose1@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @mambrose97.
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