Duncan Powell already has been on quite the journey when it comes to his basketball career.
Now that journey will include a stop in Atlanta, where he’ll join Georgia Tech for the 2024-25 season.
“This path has been one of one. I’m a believer, so it’s all been God’s plan the whole time,” Powell told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “This journey has really taught me a lot. I went from being the No. 1 (high school) player in Texas to going to Arkansas and the SEC to getting hurt and having to sit out two years and going to North Carolina A&T. Everything I’ve went through has just been lessons. I’m blessed. I’m excited for the opportunity to play in the ACC and win a lot of basketball games here.”
Powell, a 6-foot-8, 240-pound forward, comes to Tech after one season at Sacramento State and after briefly transferring to Louisiana-Lafayette in April. Three years ago, Powell was a highly sought after recruit in DeSoto, Texas, who made national headlines by choosing to play for a historically Black university instead of going to a blueblood program.
He was N.C. A&T’s highest-rated recruit ever at the time (and second ever top-100 prospect to sign with an HBCU) and chose to play for the Aggies (where his cousin previously suited up) in hopes of leading them back to the NCAA Tournament. He had been committed to play for Arkansas during his prep days before signing with A&T.
Powell missed the 2021-22 season with an injury (he also missed most of his senior season at DeSoto High School), but then averaged 8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game during the 2022-23 campaign. In 2023 he transferred to Sacramento State to play for David Patrick — previously the associate head coach at Arkansas in 2020-21.
When Patrick left Sacramento State for LSU in May, Powell began to look for his next opportunity as well.
“Really, the expertise, from top to bottom, on the coaching staff. That really sealed the deal,” Powell said about what stood out to him about Tech. “Being able to play for people who played at the highest level and have won a lot of college basketball games and can just pass down the knowledge they have to me.
“All the pieces the staff has put together is gonna be great. Just me being able to come in and help the team win — I have abilities to be able to come in and help the team win.”
Powell led the Hornets last season in both scoring (12.1 ppg) and rebounds (7 rpg). He also had 58 assists, shot 49.2% from the field and recorded five double-doubles.
The North Carolina native, who said he plans to move to Atlanta on July 5, is the fourth transfer (Javian McCollum from Oklahoma, Luke O’Brien from Colorado and Ryan Mutombo from Georgetown) to join coach Damon Stoudamire’s roster this offseason.
“I wanna be able to help put Georgia Tech in those conversations, whenever you bring up the ACC,” Powell said. “I feel like coach Stoudamire and staff are building a great program here. The biggest thing for me is helping Georgia Tech become one of those schools people talk about when you mention the ACC.”
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