by Connor Whalen ‘28 on September 25, 2025
Friar Sports
On top of adding dynamic scorers in Jason Edwards ’G26 and Jaylin Sellers ’G26, Kim English further bolstered his squad with the additions of forward Duncan Powell ’26 from Georgia Tech and guard Daquan Davis ’28 from Florida State University. One lacking component of last year’s team was their energy; the team seemed to lose their momentum—their offense often stalling and displaying an apparent lack of intensity on the defensive end. Powell and Davis are two key additions that should help the Friars immensely this year on both ends of the floor, both of whom are giving the Friars that desperately needed intensity.
Powell, also known as “The Shagman” (a nickname given to him for his unusual haircut), is a 6’8” power forward known to use emotion on the court and provides the Friars with a tertiary scoring option behind Edwards and Sellers. Powell’s commitment to North Carolina A&T made him the highest recruit in NCAA history ever to commit to an HBCU before transferring to Sacramento State, where he caught the eyes of Georgia Tech’s head coach and accepted his transfer offer. The Friars desperately needed wing shooters with the losses of Wesley Cardet Jr. ’25, Jabri Abdur Rahim ’G25, and Bensley Joseph ’25—and Powell gives the Friars just that. A catch-and-shoot hazard and corner specialist, Powell is not only a threat from behind the arc, but he also possesses solid post work to round out his offensive game. The addition of Powell gives English more versatility, as Powell has enough size to play as a stretch big man, giving the Friars the option to spread the floor more and play with five players behind the arc. Adding Powell to this year’s team makes the Friars more dangerous offensively and gives the team an energetic, aggressive player on the defensive end.
Davis, another key addition to PC’s squad this year, is a 6’1” point guard. Incorporating Davis adds another playmaker to the Friars’ rotation, posting 2.5 assists and showcasing his passing ability in his freshman year at FSU. He also proved to be a great on-ball defender, always a threat to pick an opponent’s pocket and play with an unmatched level of energy. On the offensive side of the ball, Davis’ explosiveness makes him a threat to beat defenders to the rim, and his unselfishness allows him to pick out open shooters and locate big men for a lob. His downfall last year was his shooting, only converting 27.9 percent of his threes and struggling on mid-range attempts. I strongly believe Davis can turn this around; he posted an impressive 82.6 percent free-throw percentage, indicating a solid shooting stroke, and shot 46 percent from behind the arc in high school at Overtime Elite. As a freshman, essentially thrown right into Florida State’s starting point guard role in a competitive Atlantic Coast Conference, low shooting figures and some initial all-around struggle should not come as a surprise. Davis has plenty of time to develop—and he will—with three years of eligibility remaining, potentially providing the Friars with a long-term backcourt solution.
Davis and Powell are two further reasons for Friar fans to be amped about the upcoming season, as they render the Friars an even hungrier, more fiery squad. Last year’s team felt like it had too many pure shooters and not enough pure athletes—Cardet and Abdur-Rahim being prime examples—especially proving costly on the defensive end. At the bare minimum, this year’s team will play a far more exciting brand of basketball. Should this team reach its full potential, the Friars could pose a genuine threat to the Big East.