There is absolutely no doubt that 6-foot-4 guard Norman Powell has left a remarkable impact at UCLA.
During the 2012-2013 season, Powell played in all 35 games and averaged 6.1 ppg. Although he only started the first few games his sophomore year and considered transferring, we are glad Powell decided to stick around.
Under the coaching of Steve Alford, Powell had an opportunity to break out of the restraints of Ben Howland‘s system and really begin to take control of the ball and court. During his junior year, his ppg nearly doubled to 11.4 and he served as a starter for all 37 games. After the season ended, Powell considered leaving the Bruins for a professional basketball career in the NBA like teammates Jordan Adams, Kyle Anderson and Zach LaVine. After requesting an evaluation of prospects for the 2014 NBA draft, Powell decided to stay at UCLA for his senior year.
Feb 21, 2015; Tucson, AZ, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Norman Powell (4) dunks the ball against the Arizona Wildcats during the first half at McKale Center. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
We are happy that Powell decided to stay because he has left his greatest impact during the 2014-2015 season. He is now finishing his senior year off as strong as ever with an average 16.5 ppg. The amount of progress that Powell has made during his time at UCLA is amazing. In the last two home games against the University of Washington and Washington State University, Powell averaged 26 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2 assists, earning him the Pac-12 Player of the Week title for the third time this season. In the game against WSU this past Sunday, Powell scored a career-high 28 points. He is currently No. 34 on UCLA’s all-time scoring list with 1,279 career points and will finish with an even higher total after UCLA’s crosstown match-up against USC on Wednesday. With Norman’s help, the Bruins have a good chance of making it to the 2015 Pac-12 Tournament.
UCLA Bruins
Not only is he the top-scorer of the team, but Norman has created buzz at UCLA extending past his performances in the most recent games. Powell was selected as a candidate for the 2015 Senior CLASS Award and the 2015 Allstate NABC GoodWorks Team award. The CLASS award recognizes one male and one female NCAA student athlete who has proven to be a positive leader both on and off the court and the NABC GoodWorks Team award honors student athletes who are committed to giving back to their communities. By working with organizations such as Increase the Peace in San Diego (Powell’s hometown) and by visiting the UCLA Mattel Children’s hospital and the West Lost Angeles Veteran’s Hospital with his fellow Bruin teammates, it is clear that Powell has definitely been able to leave an impact on his community that extends farther than his basketball career.
Since this year Powell is a senior, he unfortunately will be leaving the Bruins and graduating from UCLA with a degree in history. UCLA fans alike are excited to see where the future will take Powell and who he may be playing for next year. Wherever he ends up, although we will miss his Ka-POWELL dunks, we would like to say a big thank you to Norman Powell for all that he has done for the Bruins.