Georgia Tech forward Duncan Powell to visit Memphis basketball

Penny Hardaway and Co. welcome a power conference transfer to campus this week.

Former Georgia Tech forward Duncan Powell, who entered the transfer portal Monday, is visiting Memphis on Wednesday, a source confirmed to Bluff City Media. Powell also declared for the 2025 NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility last Friday.

The 6-foot-8 redshirt junior put up 12.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting 44.1% overall and 35.8% from 3-point range this season. He particularly heated up down the stretch, averaging 20.8 points and 6.5 rebounds in Georgia Tech’s final six games.

Powell, who started 13 games (including Georgia Tech’s last 11), finished second behind Cal’s Jeremiah Wilkinson for the ACC’s Sixth Man of the Year award. He and the Yellow Jackets missed the NCAA Tournament after bowing out to Duke in the ACC quarterfinals. They then suffered a home loss against Jacksonville State in the first round of the National Invitational Tournament (NIT).

The Dallas native initially signed with North Carolina A&T as ESPN’s No. 84 recruit in the 2021 class, making him the highest-rated recruit in school history. Powell redshirted the 2021-22 season before averaging 8 points and 5.7 rebounds for the Aggies in 2022-23. He then compiled 12 points and 7 rebounds per game at Sacramento State the next year before transferring to Georgia Tech.

Powell, who will join his fourth school in as many seasons, enters 2025-26 with one year of eligibility remaining.

Powell’s versatile skill set could help Memphis fill the void left by both Colby Rogers on the wing and Nick Jourdain at power forward. The Tigers are expectedly losing Rogers, Jourdain, Tyrese Hunter and Moussa Cisse to expired eligibility, and Jared Harris, Baraka Okojie, PJ Carter and walk-on Damarien “Dink” Yates to the transfer portal. This means Hardaway must replenish at least eight roster spots this offseason.

Dain Dainja is currently out of eligibility too, but he’s repeatedly expressed belief that he’s entitled to an additional campaign. Sources say that Dainja plans to file for a waiver from the NCAA to potentially rejoin Memphis next season.

PJ Haggerty, Dante Harris and redshirt Bouna Kebe can all return in 2025-26. Eastern Florida guard Felipe Patino and Overtime Elite guard Daniel Vieira-Tuck are the only incoming players for next year’s team as of now.

This leaves Memphis with eight open scholarships.

Besides Powell, Memphis has reached out to the following players in the transfer portal:

UAB forward Yaxel Lendeborg

Maryland guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie

Quinnipiac forward Amarri Monroe (visit pending)

Temple guard Quante Berry (visited last weekend)

Syracuse forward Chris Bell (visited this week)

Utah Valley guard Tanner Toolson (visiting this week)

Milwaukee forward Jamichael Stillwell (visit pending)

South Carolina forward Zachary Davis (visit pending)

Bethune Cookman forward Kalil Camar (visit pending)

Robert Morris guard Amarion Dickerson (visit pending)

Monmouth guard Abdi Bashir

UCF guard Keyshawn Hall

Wichita State center Quincy Ballard

Seton Hall guard Isaiah Coleman

South Carolina Upstate guard Brit Harris

Western Kentucky guard Julius Thedford

UMass Lowell guard Martin Somerville

Texas Rio Grand Valley guard Hasan Abdul-Hakim

Purdue Fort Wayne forward Chandler Cuthrell

Farleigh Dickinson guard Terrence Brown

Arkansas State guard Derrian Ford

Clemson guard Del Jones

Louisville guard Koren Johnson

High Point guard Kezza Griffa

Wofford forward Jeremy Lorenz

Boston College guard Chas Kelley

Florida State forward Jerry Deng

Jacksonville State guard Jaron Pierre Jr.