By Foster Nicholas | Sports Editor
After a superstar career at Midway High School, Rice forward Caden Powell is headed back to his hometown. The rising senior is the sixth incoming Baylor transfer, he announced Monday afternoon.
The 6-foot-10 big man averaged 10.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and one block per game in his junior season with the Owls. Powell owned the offensive glass, finishing top-50 in the nation, averaging 3.1 offensive rebounds per game.
Before his one-year stint at Rice where he was the only Owl to play all 32 games, Powell played his first two seasons of college ball at Wyoming. He saw action in 28 games off the bench his freshman season, averaging 1.9 points and two rebounds in 8.2 minutes per game.
Powell’s relentless effort landed him in the starting lineup in 2023-24. He scored 5.4 points per game to go along with 4.1 rebounds in 31 starts with the Cowboys.
A natural interior scorer, Powell is a career 52.9% shooter. He shot 56.5% from the field a season ago, an eight-point boost from his shooting percentage at Wyoming.
The junior worked his way into foul trouble for most of the 2024-25 season. He picked up three or more fouls in 26 of Rice’s 32 games, including fouling out in three contests.
Powell scored in double figures in 16 games, highlighted by a career-high 19 points against No. 18 Memphis in an 84-72 loss on Feb. 26. Against the Tigers, Powell went 5-for-8 from the floor and a season-best 9-for-11 mark at the charity stripe.
During his Midway career, Powell was a multi-time Super Centex honoree, averaging 17.6 points and 10.8 rebounds as a senior. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
After a year with just one true big man in 2024-25, head coach Scott Drew has added to the frontcourt with the additions of Powell and High Point big man Juslin Bodo Bodo to go along with Josh Ojianwuna.