STrib: Pitts & Powell's Prep Connection Continues with Minnesota

Ignatius L Hoops

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http://www.startribune.com/prep-con...ine-powell-carries-over-to-gophers/565052122/

Today, Powell is a freshman for the Gophers women's basketball team, one clearly led by Pitts, a junior. This is their second time around as teammates — or third, if you count AAU ball. Both Powell and Pitts went to Detroit Country Day High School, two years apart.

Both lived on the east side of Detroit, with a 30-plus-minute drive to the high school, which was on the west side. As prep teammates, they won a state title when Pitts was a senior and Powell a sophomore. Powell won another the year after.

Now they would like to do that with the Gophers.

"We've always been connected," Powell said. "To be able to play here with her? Just like in high school?"

An easy choice.


Powell? She is the backup at point guard to starter Jasmine Brunson. Both are quick, penetrating point guards with similar skills; Gophers coach Lindsay Whalen is determined to get both on the court together more, seeing the pressure the duo can put on a defense; the two played together often during the Gophers' dominant second half Thursday.

After a rather nondescript debut in the Gophers opening-game loss to Missouri State, Powell came off the bench to score a team-high 19 points in a victory over Vermont. Thursday, she scored 16 points with four assists.

"Powell has been tremendous the last two games," Whalen said.

"She's finding people and making it easy. She drew six fouls [Thursday]. One of the things we talk about is getting feet in the paint and decisionmaking."

Powell chalked up her debut to freshman jitters.

"I took some ill-advised shots," she said. "I was just really nervous. Going into the second game, I realized I had to play my game. I had to let the game come to me, not rush anything. Just do what I need to do."
 

Nice article. I was waitin for someone to write that piece. Thanks, Kent.
 
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