Player Preview: Can Duncan Powell's winding basketball journey end on a high note in Providence?
It wasn’t long ago that Duncan Powell wondered if his basketball career was over before it ever got off the ground.
The versatile forward (who transferred from Georgia Tech to Providence for his final year of eligibility last spring) was once one of the better high school prospects in the country — a 6’8 forward who cracked national top 100 lists thanks to his ability to score inside and out.
The one-time Arkansas commit suffered a significant knee injury at 17 years old — an injury that would keep him off the court for over two years.
It’s been a long and winding road for the Dallas native. There was the Arkansas commitment, and the loss of both his senior year of high school and his freshman season at North Carolina A&T due to his knee injury.
Powell eventually played a season at North Carolina A&T, earning CAA All-Rookie honors as he worked his way back from two years away. A coaching change led to his transfer to Sacramento State, where he spent a year before seeing his game take to new heights last season at Georgia Tech.
He started just 13 of Tech’s 33 games last season, but after a relatively quiet first two months, Powell’s game took off after Jan. 1.
From New Year’s Day on, Powell averaged 15.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, while shooting nearly 38% from beyond the 3-point arc. He scored 18+ points ten times after the calendar flipped to 2025, headlined by 24 points (on six made threes) against Duke, and 21 versus Virginia — both in the ACC Tournament.
His journey took one final intriguing detour this spring. Powell committed to Georgetown after entering the transfer portal, only to de-commit and pledge to Providence days later.
In the ever-escalating battle between the Friars and Hoyas, Powell instantly endeared himself to Friartown with the decision — and has only become more of a fan favorite thanks to his colorful social media presence.
After a season in which their team was too passive, Providence’s staff injected the 2025-26 roster with more personality — with perhaps no personality as big as that of Powell.
With the exhibition season a little over a month away, let’s dig into what Powell brings on the floor.
What Duncan Powell brings to Providence:
Following the loss of Bryce Hopkins at the beginning of 2024, Providence has been light at the four spot. They’ve lacked depth and players with the necessary physical force needed in the Big East.
While much was made a year ago of the shortcomings/inexperience at center, or the lack of size in a two-point-guard backcourt, PC’s lack of physicality at the four went overshadowed.
It was an issue for two seasons in the absence of Hopkins.
Two years ago, the slender Ticket Gaines did his best to hold down the fort. With Hopkins playing in just three games last season, Jabri Abdur-Rahim was less physical than Gaines, and he went down with a knee injury just as he started to find his footing in Kim English’s offense.
Even if Abdur-Rahim stayed healthy, the Friars were simply not physical enough at the four after Hopkins got re-injured and then chose to sit.
Powell is sturdy physically at 6’8, 240 pounds, and while he is capable of making six 3-pointers in a game (which he did twice a year ago), he’ll also venture inside to hit the offensive glass or back in smaller defenders with a patience of an old man in a pick-up game.
The ACC Tournament demonstrated his offensive versatility. While he hit six 3-pointers in his 24-point outing against Duke, he got to 21 versus UVA without making one.
Powell isn’t a leaper (he had 10 dunks last season) and he averaged fewer than one block and steal a game, but he looks to be a great fit alongside backcourt newcomers Jason Edwards and Jaylin Sellers — who collapse defenses with aggressive rim attacks.
By the Numbers and Style of Play:
Powell ranked in the 83rd percentile nationally in points per possession last year.
Forty-two percent of his offense came on spot up opportunities (where he ranked in the 77th percentile in points per possession). Powell shot 40% when spotting up last year, and 37% from deep in ACC games.
He takes his time with the ball in the post. Powell isn’t the post option that Josh Oduro was, but he’s willing to take advantage of mismatches. He had 47 post possessions last year and shot 60%. He seeks contact when posting up (getting fouled on 21% of his post touches) and finished last season with 13 and-1s. To put that number into perspective, no Friar had ten and-1s last season, while Oduro finished with 16 two years ago. Here he is in the post:
Powell was terrific on left corner threes (hence why he nicknamed himself “Corner Man”) and he’s effective as a shooter thanks to his size and high release. Quite often he’ll simply rise up over defenders and bury shots from long distance. To that point, he ranked in the 82nd percentile last season when taking contested jumpers. Here he is from the corners and also raising up over defenders last season:
Powell has averaged around two offensive rebounds per game in his career, despite playing as a stretch four.
Conversely, for as well as he shot the ball last season, Powell is a sub-70% career shooter at the free throw line, including a 68% mark at Georgia Tech. He had never hit threes at over 30% prior to last season — making them at 22% with North Carolina A&T two years ago, and 28% at Sacramento State. For as many great shooting games as he had over the final two months last season, he mixed in a 1-11 night against Boston College and went 0-8 late in the year versus Wake Forest. Overall, he was very good in conference play, but there were a few duds mixed in.
Defensively, Powell is more of a positional defender than a rim protector. His game is more methodical than bouncy. Powell ranked in the 46th percentile in points per possession against last year.
His shot chart highlights how Powell was a terror on left corner threes, making them at 48%.
The Outlook:
Powell was a no-brainer addition last spring. His offensive game should open the floor for Providence’s attacking guards, he’s a veteran whose game took off last season, and he’ll ideally inject life into a team that felt too passive. If all goes according to plan, Powell could be a perfect match for the Friar fanbase, thanks to both his game and personality.
The Friars will have a few hybrid forwards with Powell, Ryan Mela returning after a productive freshman season, and hyper-athletic freshman Jamier Jones looking ready to contribute early. There’s a good amount of variation between the three, and each will bring a different type of physicality to the role. English and his staff could also toy with shrinking down their lineup and giving Powell time at center in spurts.
If his late-season surge at Georgia Tech was any indication, Providence may have landed a forward whose best basketball is still ahead — and whose blend of toughness, shot-making, and personality could help set the tone for a Friar team looking to reclaim its edge and return to contention.
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