WSU basketball adds Tennessee transfer Justin Powell to roster

June 7, 2022 12:09 PM

Vincent Saglimbeni,

Posted: June 7, 2022 12:09 PM

by Vincent Saglimbeni

PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State basketball has signed transfer Justin Powell from Tennessee.

The 6-foot-6-inch guard from Prospect, Kansas, played 30 games for the Volunteers last season, averaging 14.1 minutes a contest. Powell shot 39 percent from behind the arc and 38 percent from the field.

Only averaging 3.7 points a game last season in his limited playing time, Powell showed out against Presbyterian, hitting five consecutive three pointers to give him a season-high 15 points. Powell is the ninth person in Volunteer basketball history to hit at least five consecutive three-point shots.

“Justin is a great addition to our program,” Head Coach Kyle Smith said. “He is a proven player at a very high level. His size in the backcourt and his ability to make plays for himself and others should help us improve offensively. More importantly, playing and contributing for a top-10 program with NCAA experience will add incredible value to our team.”

Signed on the dotted line – Welcome to the Crimson and Gray @jtpowell241
📰| https://t.co/OzI8F5fxK4 #GoCougs pic.twitter.com/UV5JjPwUfG

— WSU Men’s Basketball (@WSUCougarMBB) June 7, 2022

Before his transfer to WSU and time at Tennessee, Powell was a top-100 recruit coming out of high school, starting his collegiate career at Auburn. He played in 10 games for the Tigers before suffering a season-ending injury.

2020 was Powell’s season, as he was named SEC Freshman of the Week in December of 2020 after dropping 52 points over two games. Powell averaged 11.7 points per game, adding 6.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 0.9 steals to his statline. He was shooting42.9 percent from the field, 44.2 percent from 3-point range and 76.5 percent at the free-throw line in 2020.

Due to COVID-19, the junior has three years of eligibility left.