With Hall stars gone, Powell takes the lead

Myles Powell now has the bull’s-eye on the back of his jersey, in between the Nos. 1 and 3. He’s the player opposing teams will game plan for, the one Seton Hall will look to when it needs a basket.

And, if opening night were any indication, the sharpshooting junior from Trenton is ready for the challenge. The Pirates’ only returning starter got hot early and helped his young teammates relax, leading the way to an 89-49 rout over outmanned Wagner College at Walsh Gymnasium in South Orange on Tuesday night.

“Just wait, I’ve been saying I think he’s one of the best players in the county for a reason,” coach Kevin Willard said after the Pirates won their eighth straight opener. “He’s a special player.”

Powell has 20 points by halftime on nine shot attempts. About the only thing that didn’t go his way in the opening 20 minutes was his shot at the horn that rolled around the rim and popped out. He frequently made the extra pass, finishing with three assists, and rarely held onto the ball long, attacking or moving it. He hit five 3-point attempts and notched a career high-equaling 30 points on 10-of-13 shooting in 24 minutes, as the Pirates (1-0) coasted to an easy win to start a brutal non-conference schedule that includes Kentucky, Louisville and Maryland.

“I’m just embracing the fact I’m the leader now,” Powell said. “I’m the first option now, and I did good tonight.”

For Powell, it was the start of a new role. He’s no longer a follower, the young guy finding his way. After coming out of the game midway through the second half, Powell made sure to greet each player on the bench, even the managers. Still, it’s taking some getting used to. In the opening few minutes he passed on a few shots, until Willard pulled him aside.

“Shoot the ball,” the coach told him. “You shoot it all the time in practice, why are you not shooting it now?”

Powell no longer has Angel Delgado, Khadeen Carrington, Ismael Sanogo and Desi Rodriguez to seek out for answers. They are all gone, now in the professional ranks, after leading a Seton Hall resurgence. They treated Powell like a little brother, helping him develop into one of the league’s better guards.

Only Michael Nzei, the fifthyear senior forward, has more experience than Powell. A preseason All-Big East second team selection who averaged 15.5 points per game last year, Powell is the one the younger players will look to in difficult times, when a big lead evaporates, in hostile environments as predictable struggles ensue.

Which is why his hot start was so important, to take the pressure off the program’s many newcomers and underclassmen in their debut. Powell scored 14 of Seton Hall’s first 25 points as it built an early 11-point lead and never looked back. Sophomore starters Myles Cale (eight points) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (seven points, five rebounds, two blocks) each flashed their potential. Nzei was a steadying force inside, with 11 points and seven rebounds, and freshman point guard Anthony Nelson had five assists off the bench as the Pirates had 20 assists on 29 made field goals.

“I really appreciated the effort overall,” Willard said.