Just about everyone on the West Virginia men’s basketball roster will be new to the fans in 2024-25, most of which are transferring in from other schools. There is one freshman, however, that you need to know about and that is guard Jonathan Powell (6’6″, 191 lbs) out of Dayton, Ohio.
Coming out of Centerville High School the fringe four-star recruit initially committed and signed with Xavier, but requested a release from his National Letter of Intent after the program decided to bring in several transfers. He initially chose the Musketeers over offers from Alabama, Cincinnati, Dayton, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, and several others.
Once released from his NLI from Xavier, it didn’t take long for Powell to find his new home in West Virginia. Since the day he stepped foot on campus, he’s been turning heads and putting himself in a position to have a role on this team as a true freshman.
During the team’s three-game Italy trip, Powell scored eight, twenty-four, and sixteen points, bringing him to a solid 16 points per game average.
Earlier this week, WVU head coach Darian DeVries was asked about his progress and if what he did in Italy was just a good week for him or if it’s a sign of things to come.
“He’s done some really good things for us. Like most incoming freshmen, he’ll have a really good week and then a week where he makes some of those mistakes. What I love about him is his approach every single day he just wants to get better. He wants to try to be great and when you have someone willing to take that mindset every day, those mistakes are a lot easier to overlook. He’s doing some really nice things and I think he’s going to have a good freshman year for us if he continues with that mindset.”
In 29 games as a senior, Powell averaged 19.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 45% from the field, 38% from three-point range, and 67% from the free throw line. He recorded 20 or more points in 15 games and went over 30 points twice with his season-high (34) coming in a two-point loss to St. Ignatius. He was named the Division I Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Year.
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