Roger Powell (basketball) facts for kids

Roger Powell Jr. (born January 15, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. He is now the head coach for the Valparaiso Beacons men's basketball team. Before this, Powell was an assistant coach at Gonzaga. He played college basketball at the University of Illinois from 2001 to 2005. He went to Joliet Central High School and graduated in 2001. Powell played the forward position in high school and college. He earned a degree in speech communications from the University of Illinois. Roger's father also played basketball for Joliet Central High School and Illinois State.

Roger Powell's Playing Career

High School Basketball Years

Roger Powell was a key player for Joliet Township High School. He started for three years and earned a "letter" (a school award for sports) for four years. In his junior year, he helped his team get a 20–8 record. He averaged 19 points and eight rebounds per game. Powell also helped his team win the SICA West Conference in both his junior and senior years.

As a junior, he won a bronze medal with the 1999 USA Basketball Men's Youth Development Festival North Team. He was also named to the Pontiac Holiday Tourney All-Tournament Team. He was recognized as second team All-State.

In his senior year, Powell averaged 20.7 points and nine rebounds. His team had a 25-5 record and was ranked No. 3 in the Chicago area. He earned First Team All-State honors from several newspapers and associations in 2001. He was seen as one of the top 100 basketball prospects in the country. He finished fourth in the voting for Mr. Basketball in Illinois. After his senior year, he played in the Wendy's All-Star Classic and was named MVP at the IBCA All-Star Game.

Early College Basketball Career

As a new student (a "true freshman"), Powell played in 27 games. He averaged 2.9 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. In his first year, he scored a season-high 12 points against Western Illinois. He played 15 minutes against Loyola-Chicago, scoring five points and getting five rebounds. His main job was to bring energy off the bench. He did this against Wisconsin, scoring six points and grabbing four rebounds. In the NCAA tournament, he scored four points and grabbed four rebounds in Illinois' first-round win.

In his second year, Powell started 19 games. He led the Big Ten conference in field goal percentage during conference games, shooting 64.1 percent. He was third on his team in scoring, with 8.7 points per game. He scored a season-high 22 points against Indiana. He scored double figures in 13 games. A toe injury slowed him down mid-season, keeping him out for two weeks. He was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team. He led Illinois with 16 points in the championship game against Ohio State. He also played on the Big Ten European Tour team, leading them in scoring with 14 points per game.

Later College Basketball Career

In his third season with the Illini, Powell was an honorable mention All-Big Ten player. He started 31 games but missed some time due to a concussion. This happened during a Big Ten tournament game against Indiana. He averaged 11.6 points per game, ranking third on his team. He also averaged 5 rebounds per game, which was second on the team. He was third in the Big Ten in field goal shooting at 59.5 percent. Powell scored a career-high 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds at Wisconsin. In the 2004 NCAA tournament, he scored 22 points against Cincinnati. He then had 15 points and eight rebounds in a Sweet 16 loss to Duke. Powell thought about joining the NBA draft but decided to return for his senior year.

In his final season, Powell was again named an honorable mention All-Big Ten player. He was part of the Illini team that reached the national championship game. They tied an NCAA record with 37 wins that season. He started every game and was fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 12.0 points per game. He scored in double figures in 26 of 39 games. He was second on the Illini in rebounding, averaging 5.7 rebounds per game. He was named Big Ten player of the week on December 6. This was after strong performances against Wake Forest and Arkansas.

He scored his 1,000th career point against Indiana on February 6. He finished his college career with 1,178 points, ranking 26th on the Illini's all-time scoring list. He also ranks fifth in school history for career field goal percentage.

Professional Basketball Career

After college, Roger Powell tried to join an NBA team. He played in various NBA summer leagues. He made it to the Seattle SuperSonics' training roster but did not make the final team.

Powell then decided to play in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). The Rockford Lightning picked him in the 2005 CBA draft. He had great success with the Lightning. The CBA named Powell the Rookie of the Year for the 2005–06 season. He was also named to the All-CBA Second Team and All-Rookie Team.

Powell continued to try for an NBA career. He tried out for the Utah Jazz, where he joined former college teammates. He made the Jazz's final roster for the 2006–07 NBA season. He scored his first NBA points on November 18, 2006, against the Phoenix Suns. However, he was released from the team in mid-January.

He then played for the Arkansas Rimrockers in the NBDL (now G-League). Powell was named the D-League's player of the month for February 2007. He averaged 27.6 points and 7.3 rebounds in 11 games. He scored at least 19 points in each of those 11 games, including 46 points in one game. In April 2007, he received the NBA Development League Jason Collier Sportsmanship Award. This award recognizes good conduct and character on the court.

In 2007–08, he played for Teramo Basket in Italy. In October 2008, he joined the Chicago Bulls but did not make the final team. In 2008–09, he played for Hapoel Jerusalem in Israel. In 2009–10, he joined CB Murcia in Spain. In February 2010, he signed a contract with JDA Dijon in France. He also spent time with the Chicago Bulls in 2010 but was waived. On October 28, 2010, he signed with the German club Skyliners Frankfurt.

Roger Powell's Coaching Career

On June 28, 2011, Roger Powell started his coaching career. He joined the Valparaiso Crusaders men's basketball team as an assistant coach.

On April 6, 2016, Powell moved to Vanderbilt. He joined the coaching staff of the Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball team as an associate head coach.

From the 2019–20 to the 2022–23 seasons, Powell was an assistant coach at Gonzaga. He worked under head coach Mark Few.

On April 7, 2023, Powell returned to Valparaiso. He became the new head coach for the Valparaiso Beacons.

Roger Powell's Personal Life

Roger Powell is a Christian. He is married to Tara Powell. They have four children together.

Head Coaching Record

See also

In Spanish: Roger Powell (baloncestista) para niños