Seton Hall Basketball: Why Myles Powell will win National Player of the Year
By Brian Rauf
Big stages
It’s impossible to have those “Heisman moments” without playing in games a lot of people are watching. Good thing Powell and Seton Hall will be playing in high-profile games on a weekly basis.
Prior to Big East play, the Pirates will face projected preseason No. 1 Michigan State – and Winston – at home. Two weeks later, they will play in the Battle 4 Atlantis where they may very well play three straight games against top-15 opponents (they open with Oregon). Once back in the United States, Seton Hall travels for true road games against Iowa State and Rutgers before hosting Maryland.
All of those games are going to be on national TV and are of the best-game-of-the-night variety.
Powell’s opportunities aren’t going to diminish in Big East play, either. Seton Hall’s two games against Villanova should be ranked-vs-ranked matchups, and their games against Marquette feature Powell going up against another NPOY candidate in Markus Howard. With Creighton, Georgetown, and Xavier all lurking around the top 25 as well, the Pirates are set to face an absolute gauntlet, though an exciting one.
The opportunity for so many high-profile games will not only help Seton Hall’s NCAA Tournament resume when it comes to the seeding, but also Powell’s Player of the Year candidacy.