Pierre Wooten
July 23, 2020
Carlos Powell
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 29/08/83
- Place of Birth: Florence, South Carolina (USA)
- Position: FRD
- Height (CM): 200
- Weight (KG): 102
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: South Carolina (2001–2005)
- NBL DEBUT: 26/09/06
- AGE AT DEBUT: 23
- LAST NBL GAME: 11/02/07
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 23
- NBL History: New Zealand 2007
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Carlos Powell was born in Florence, South Carolina (USA).
NBL EXPERIENCE
Carlos Powell made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 23 years of age. He scored 34 points in his first game.
With New Zealand entering their second season under head coach Andrej Lemanis, the Breakers retained the majority of their roster from 2005/06, with captain Paul Henare, Aaron Olson, Ben Pepper, Mika Vukona, Tim Behrendorff all returning.
Foundation forward Dillon Boucher departed to Brisbane, while marquee forward Rich Melzer was released after signing an NBA deal with San Antonio. To address those losses, Lemanis secured Australian forward Oscar Forman (via Adelaide) and moved quickly to recruit two high-profile imports — 2004 NBL MVP Brian Wethers (via Hunter) and Carlos Powell (via NBA D-League) — to provide scoring power on the wings and replace Melzer’s production.
The season opened with Carlos Powell making an immediate impact, his 34-point debut setting a team record for most points in a first game. New Zealand’s early highlights included an upset victory over defending champions Melbourne ( 118–97). Sparked by Wethers’ game-high 31 points and Powell’s 28 points, 8 rebounds. In Singapore on 13 December, the Breakers made history as part of the first ever NBL game between two non-Australian teams, with Powell exploding for 43 points in a 111–94 defeat. Powell would later deliver the league’s highest-scoring game of the season with 50 points against Melbourne — a franchise record that still stands.
On 1 January against Sydney, the Breakers suffered a costly blow when Wethers sustained a fracture to the tibial plateau of his right knee during the first quarter of a 100–89 loss. At the time, Wethers was averaging (19.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.2 steals) across 22 games, providing an important scoring punch alongside Powell. His absence left a significant hole in the offence and was a turning point in the season. Import guard Pierre Wooten (8.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists across 9 games) was signed as his replacement but struggled to match Wethers’ production, and the team’s playoff hopes faded during a ten-game losing streak.
Carlos Powell (28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists across 33 games) led the league in scoring, claimed two NBL Player of the Month awards, and won the NBL Slam Dunk Contest at the All-Star Game. Ben Pepper (15.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists) anchored the middle, while Aaron Olson (12.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists) remained a steady perimeter threat in what would be his final NBL season. Oscar Forman (10.6 points and 5.2 rebounds) added floor spacing and rebounding, and captain Paul Henare (8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists) led the team in assists and was second in steals. Mika Vukona (5.2 points and 6.2 rebounds) provided energy and toughness in the frontcourt.
The Breakers finished the season in 10th place with an 11–22 record, missing the playoffs but showing incremental improvement on the previous year’s 9–23 finish. Powell’s record-breaking scoring feats, highlighted by his 50-point game and consistent high-level production, were the defining feature of a season that mixed spectacular individual performances with the frustration of untapped team potential.
Carlos Powell played one season in the NBL. He averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4 assists in 33 NBL games.
CAREER RANKINGS:
– 13rd in points per game.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-07 | 23 | New Zealand | 11-22 (10) | 33 | 1,305.0 | 932 | 270 | 132 | 87 | 183 | 55 | 30 | 120 | 119 | 360 | 663 | 54% | 21 | 75 | 28% | 191 | 276 | 69% | 59% | 56% | 50 | Totals | 33 | 1305 | 932 | 270 | 132 | 87 | 183 | 55 | 30 | 120 | 119 | 360 | 663 | 54.3% | 21 | 75 | 28.0% | 191 | 276 | 69.2% | 59% | 56% | 50 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-07 | 23 | New Zealand | 11-22 (10) | 33 | 39.5 | 28.2 | 8.2 | 4.0 | 2.6 | 5.5 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 10.9 | 20.1 | 54% | 0.6 | 2.3 | 28% | 5.8 | 8.4 | 69% | 59% | 56% | 50 | Total | 33 | 39.5 | 28.2 | 8.2 | 4.0 | 2.6 | 5.5 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 10.9 | 20.1 | 54.3% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 28.0% | 0.6 | 2.3 | 69.2% | 59% | 56% | 50 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 50 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 0 |
|---|
NBA EXPERIENCE
Selected #1 in 2009 NBDL Draft by Albuquerque Thunderbirds.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Portugal – S.L. Benfica (2005–2006) | Ukraine – Azovmash Mariupol (2007) | Iran – Zob Ahan Isfahan (2011) | Israel – Maccabi Haifa (2011–2012) | South Korea – Incheon Elephants (2012–2015), Jeonju KCC Egis (2015–2016) | Argentina – Estudiantes Concordia (2016–2017) | Venezuela – Trotamundos (2017) | Lebanon – Al Moutahed Tripoli (2017–2018) | Mexico – Fuerza Regia (2018)
Powell joined S.L. Benfica for the 2005-2006 Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol season in Portugal, where he emerged as one of the league’s top imports by averaging 19.4 points and 7 rebounds per game and earning All-League MVP and All-League Imports team recognition alongside teammates such as Antonio Tavares and Joao Gomes in the Benfica rotation
Following his season in Portugal, Powell signed with Azovmash Mariupol in Ukraine for part of the 2006–2007 Superliga season after his stint with the New Zealand Breakers, joining a squad that would go on to claim the Ukrainian league championship with Powell contributing as an import scorer and role player
In 2011 Powell moved to Zob Ahan Isfahan in the Iranian Basketball Super League in Iran, where he averaged 20 points, 12 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in Isfahan before later that summer signing with Maccabi Haifa B.C. in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, appearing in 24 games and averaging 13.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in the 2011-12 season
Powel’s international career also extended beyond Europe and the Middle East, as he spent multiple seasons in South Korea’s Korean Basketball League with the Incheon Elephants and Jeonju KCC Egis between 2012 and 2016, producing KBL averages near 18 points and 7 rebounds per game, and later finished his overseas tenure in Latin America with Estudiantes Concordia in Argentina and Trotamundos in Venezuela, where he was named the Liga Profesional de Baloncesto MVP in 2017 before brief stints in Lebanon and Mexico during the 2017-18 season
COLLEGE
Powell played college basketball at South Carolina during the 2001–02 season and competed for the Gamecocks from 2001 to 2005 in the Southeastern Conference under head coach Dave Odom.
As a freshman in 2001–02, he played 37 games with 9 starts on a South Carolina team that finished 22–15 (6–10 SEC), averaging 6.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in 15.7 minutes per game while shooting 45.8% from the field, 25.0% from three, and 67.2% at the line.
That 2001–02 season produced 232 points, 101 rebounds, 21 assists, 25 steals, 4 blocks, 32 turnovers, 63 fouls, and 15 made three-pointers, with 88 made field goals and 41 made free throws across 580 minutes.
As a sophomore in 2002–03, he played 28 games with 15 starts on a South Carolina team that finished 12–16 (5–11 SEC), averaging 12.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 28.3 minutes per game while shooting 44.3% from the field, 30.6% from three, and 69.7% at the line.
In 2002–03 he totaled 353 points, 120 rebounds, 46 assists, 32 steals, 8 blocks, 55 turnovers, 67 fouls, and 30 made three-pointers, with 135 made field goals and 53 made free throws across 792 minutes.
As a junior in 2003–04, he played 34 games with 31 starts on a South Carolina team that went 23–11 (8–8 SEC), finished third in the SEC East, and earned an at-large bid to the 2004 NCAA Tournament as a No. 10 seed before losing 59–43 to No. 7 Memphis in the first round.
In that 2003–04 season, he averaged 12.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 30.2 minutes per game while shooting 44.7% from the field, 27.4% from three, and 62.3% at the line, adding 1.2 steals and 0.6 blocks per game.
His 2003–04 totals were 416 points, 212 rebounds, 46 assists, 42 steals, 20 blocks, 57 turnovers, 74 fouls, and 20 made three-pointers, with 165 made field goals and 66 made free throws across 1,028 minutes.
In the 2004 NCAA Tournament first-round game against Memphis, he scored 11 points as South Carolina’s only double-figure scorer, and he reached 1,000 career points during that matchup, entering his senior year with 1,001 career points and 433 career rebounds.
As a senior in 2004–05, he started all 33 games on a South Carolina team that finished 20–13 (7–9 SEC) and won the 2005 Postseason NIT championship.
In 2004–05, he averaged 16.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 33.7 minutes per game while shooting 53.0% from the field and 68.3% at the free-throw line, and he scored 540 points on 212 made field goals with 216 rebounds, 52 assists, 42 steals, and 16 blocks across 1,113 minutes.
Over his four South Carolina seasons, he played 132 games (a school record for games played), finishing with 1,541 points, 649 total rebounds, and 71 made three-pointers while shooting 47.4% from the field and producing 165 assists, 141 steals, and 48 blocks in 3,513 minutes.
Early in his senior year, he was named SEC Player of the Week on November 29, 2004, and at that point he had a 72-game scoring streak dating back to March 2, 2003, with 59 career double-figure scoring games and 18 straight non-conference double-figure games noted in the same award release.
In South Carolina’s 2005 NIT title run, he led the Gamecocks in scoring for the season and was highlighted as a senior All-SEC forward entering the NIT final, with his accolades in that period including All-SEC recognition and an NIT Most Valuable Player award.
In the NIT semifinal win over Maryland, he produced 17 points and 12 rebounds, and across his final two games he totaled 31 points and 16 rebounds before closing the season by leading all scorers with 16 points in the 60–57 NIT championship win over Saint Joseph’s to secure tournament MVP honours.
Additional Info: Throughout his four-year career at South Carolina he scored over 1500 points (1541), 600 rebounds (641), and 70 3-point field goals (71).
He also holds the school record for most games played with 132 and he received the NIT Most Valuable Player award, in the NIT tournament.
AWARDS
- 1x All-NBL First Team
- 1x NBL Leading Scorer
Related
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