Seton Hall Basketball: Why Myles Powell will win 2020 Player of the Year

Seton Hall Basketball: Why Myles Powell will win National Player of the Year

By Brian Rauf | Oct 17, 2019

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 08: Myles Powell #13 of the Seton Hall Pirates celebrates his shot in the first half against the Butler Bulldogs during quarterfinals of the Big East Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 8, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

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JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – MARCH 21: Myles Powell #13 of the Seton Hall Pirates reacts in the second half against the Wofford Terriers during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena on March 21, 2019 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

Myles Powell emerged as a superstar for Seton Hall basketball last year, but he’s poised for a bigger and better year in 2019-20.

Seton Hall Basketball is entering what is expected to be a banner year for the program. The Pirates were picked to win the Big East over Villanova, largely due to the return of leading scorer Myles Powell, who was selected as the conference’s Preseason Player of the Year.

Powell emerged as a star last year by leading Seton Hall to their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, a major surprise considering the program was picked to finish 8th in the Big East. He essentially carried them singlehandedly, leading them in points and steals while finishing second in assists.

That breakout year has turned the Pirates into the hunted, but Powell said at Big East Media Day that they aren’t shying away from these high expectations.

"“Since I’ve been here coach [Kevin Willard] has always had high expectations for us and we’re going to all live up to them. We gotta understand this year that we’re everybody’s best game and we gotta have that same hunger that we had last year. “Last year we had that edge on our shoulders because they had us 8th in the Big East. We didn’t know how we were going to be without the seniors and stuff and I feel like we gotta have the same hunger and that same edge and we’ll be alright.”"

While expectations are high for Seton Hall as a team, they might be even higher for Powell individually. He’s projected to be an All-American and, while Michigan State’s Cassius Winston is considered the preseason favorite, Powell is on the shortlist of legitimate contenders for National Player of the Year.

By the end of the year, I expect Powell to win that award. Here are the five biggest reasons why:

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