University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Powell Named NBA Rookie of the Month
April 15, 2016 | Men's Basketball
NEW YORK – UCLA graduate and current Toronto Raptors guard Norman Powell has captured Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honors, as announced Friday by the league office.
Powell, who competed for the Bruins from 2012-15, has played in 49 games for Toronto this season, making 24 starts. Through eight contests in April, he averaged 15.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, shooting 54.3 percent from the field. He has scored in double figures in 13 games this season, all since March 1.
In the Raptors' regular-season finale last Wednesday evening at Brooklyn, Powell scored a season-high 30 points. The former standout at Lincoln High School (San Diego) made 12 of 18 shots from the field, including five of six attempts from 3-point range, and grabbed nine rebounds in the Raptors' win.
During his 24 games as a starter, Powell has averaged 10.1 points and 3.5 rebounds in 25.2 minutes per game. He scored in double figures in seven consecutive games from March 25 through April 2, averaging 14.5 points.
With Powell's emergence during the second half of his rookie season, Toronto closed its regular season with a franchise-best 56 regular-season victories (going 56-26 overall) to clinch the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed in the playoffs. Overall this season, Powell has averaged 5.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.
Toronto will open the postseason at home against the No. 7 seed Indiana Pacers this Saturday at 9:30 a.m. (PT).
As a senior at UCLA in 2014-15, Powell secured first-team All-Pac-12 honors and led the Bruins in scoring with 16.4 points per game. He helped guide UCLA to consecutive Sweet 16 appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Powell was a second-round NBA Draft selection (No. 46 overall) by the Milwaukee Bucks in June 2015 and was immediately traded to the Raptors.
