Courtesy of North Carolina A&T Athletics
EAST GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T interim head men’s basketball coach Phillip Shumpert had some advice for his 6-foot-8, 225-pound power forward Duncan Powell. Take your skill set and strength and create offense in the post before taking the 3-point shot.
Powell took the advice, which proved beneficial enough to make A&T men’s basketball history. The Colonial Athletic Association released its weekly honors on Monday and named Powell rookie of the week.
The honor makes Powell the first player in program history to earn a CAA weekly honor. Powell, one of the highest-ranked recruits coming out of high school in program history, showed why last week. He combined to score 35 points, grab 19 rebounds, block two shots and record two steals as the Aggies went 1-1 in CAA action. Powell was also a combined 12-for-16 (.750) from the floor and 10-for-14 (.714) from the free throw line. In addition, Powell made the only 3-point shot he attempted during the week.
Before last week, Powell was 2-for-19 from 3-point range. With two big men already out for the season, and 6-9 forward Austin Johnson nursing an injury, Shumpert offered Powell a critique.
“He was concentrating on shooting jump shots instead of attacking the paint and hitting the glass,” said Shumpert. “I told him, ‘the outside shot will come. But you’ve got to start inside and work your way out there.’ He’s starting to do that, and he’s getting fouled and getting to the free throw line.”
