Top-50 2024 Jonathan Powell discusses early recruitment and visits

Jonathan Powell is the No. 44 player in On3’s 2024 rankings. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard started April with no offers. That quickly changed after averaging 19.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and shooting 41.9 percent from three.

I am a big guard and can create shots for myself and my teammates,” Powell told On3. “I can shoot the ball well and finish at the rim. My length disrupts defenders on defense, and I rebound the ball.”

He picked up double-digit offers playing with Wildcats Select on the Adidas 3SSB Circuit this summer. He moved up to 17u after the first event. On3 caught up with Powell to see which schools prioritized the four-star.

“I’ve visited Cincinnati, Ohio State, Illinois, Indiana, and Xavier,” Powell said, “I don’t have any official visits set up, but Ohio State, Indiana, and Xavier are the schools I’ve been hearing the most from.”

Powell talks visits

Primary recruiter for each school: Cincinnati– Andre Morgan. Ohio State– Jake Diebler. Illinois– Chester Frazier. Indiana– Brian Walsh. Xavier-Dante Jackson

“I’ll say this for all the schools,” Powell said. “What intrigued me when I first went to each school is just seeing how amazing the campuses are. Every campus I went to was impressive, and they’re all good programs.

All the schools I’ve visited so far have outstanding facilities and gyms. I learned a lot about the programs’ history and the success each of the schools has had over time. I learned that the coaches and staff have tight relationships with their players. The players at the schools are very close to each other and can see their love for each other.

All the schools say the same things. They all like that I’m a combo guard with good height and can really shoot the ball. They like my athleticism when I attack the basket and my length on defense and being able to go up and grab rebounds.”

Powell’s take

“What I look for in a school is the success they been having over the years,” Powell said. “I’ll look at transfers that come in and out, the love the coaching staff shows me and my family, fan base, and the education.

“A school’s location won’t matter to me; I just want to be at a college that will give me an opportunity. I’ll look a the style of play, too. I want to be able to go out and play in an organized way, but I don’t want to be on the court like a robot.

“My dad, Jon Powell, played at Western Michigan (editor’s note – Powell averaged 15.9 points and shot 43% from three in 2000-01 for the Broncos). I grew up watching Ohio State and Kentucky games; I was a big fan of those two schools.”

On3’s take

Jonathan Powell is a lengthy and rangy off-guard. He is a natural ability to score from each level. He has a good handle in the half-court, where he gets to his spots. The jump shot has good balance and a consistent release. He needs to work on shot prep off the ball and tighten his angles and footwork. There is positional size, confidence, and nice athleticism. His father was a double-digit scorer at Eastern Michigan.