Seton Hall senior guard Myles Powell continues to add to his trove of postseason hardware.
The Trenton native on Tuesday won the 2020 Jerry West National Shooting Guard of the Year award. Powell, who was one of five finalists for the award, was selected by a committee that was headed by West himself.
“I am truly honored to be the 2020 Jerry West Award winner," said Powell. "To have my name next to one of the greatest basketball players of all time is a blessing. Thank you Mr. West and the awards committee for selecting me. I'll treasure this honor forever."
In the six years that the Hall of Fame has awarded national honors at each position, Powell became the second Pirate to win one of the awards, joining Angel Delgado, who was the 2018 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award winner.
“Myles Powell was arguably the best scorer in college hoops this year," said Jerry West, known as “The Logo” because his silhouette is the official symbol of the NBA. "He didn't shy away from the big moments, always willing to put up the critical shots and bringing an unparalleled level of energy to his team every game. Myles and his Seton Hall teammates were a pleasure to watch this season."
Powell finished as Seton Hall’s third all-time leading scorer with 2,252 points and first in 3-pointers made with 348. He averaged 21.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists this season despite battling an ankle sprain, tendinitis and a concussion.
“Myles has been determined to be a great player his entire career, and being the recipient of an award that bears the name of an all-time basketball great in Jerry West is an incredible accomplishment and honor that exemplifies what hard work can bring," said Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard. "He had a remarkable season leading our team, and I'm thrilled for him to be named the best in the country at his position."
Although he never got to participate in the NCAA Tournament as a senior due to the coronavirus, Powell has been piling up the awards since the season ended.
The Trenton native was named the Big East Player of the Year after being named Preseason Player of the Year. Terry Dehere was the last Pirate to win that honor in 1993.
Powell was also named to the Associated Press All-America First Team, becoming the first Pirate since Walter Dukes in 1953 to earn the honor.
He was also named one of five finalists for both the Naismith Trophy and the Wooden Award. Obi Toppin of Dayton won the Naismith Trophy last week, while the Wooden Award will be announced Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET on SportsCenter.
Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter who covers Seton Hall and NJ college basketball for NJ Advance Media