Powell hearing from diverse list

Danny Powell is a relentless, tough, bruising power forward who doesn't know how to play any other way. The Phoenix (Ariz.) Mesa 2012 recruit might remind some of a smaller Jon Brockman, an impressive comparison for one of the top rising juniors in Arizona.

"I have a friend from the East Coast and he taught me how to play real physical like that so I don't play like I'm from the West Coast," Powell said. "I try to go strong and beat people up and I have an outside jumper too but I like to get on the inside so I can stretch the defense.

"You have to go up strong with all your power, that's what I do. I've been playing like that my whole life. I haven't always been the quickest but I've been the strongest on the court so I can use that to my advantage."

Powell, who averaged about 14 points and five rebounds in his sophomore season, was one of the top players at last weekend's Pangos Sweet 16 in Long Beach, Calif. He's best around the basket, scoring off putbacks and getting offensive rebounds. But he can also step out and hit the midrange jumper. Being able to do both makes Powell difficult to defend.

"When they know I'm going to the hole strong they start to back off and then I can pull-up and show them that," said Powell, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound recruit. "I can hit that and they have to respect it."

Recruiting is going well for Powell, who played with Tulsa commit Blondy Baruti last season at Mesa. He said all of the Pac-10 excluding UCLA is recruiting him along with Indiana, St. Joseph's and Wake Forest.

At this point, Powell said he's wide open and considering all options. He's just happy schools from across the country are already taking notice of him and his physical style on the court.

"It's going well," Powell said. "I'm very wide open right now as far as where I'm going to go to school. I still need to take some visits to some places and just see. My mom and my club coach are going to be a big deciding factor where I'm going to go to school.

"It's just what fits me, where I'm going to get the best education and where I'd like to play my basketball. You're going to spend a few years there so it has to be somewhere you want to be. I want to have my mom and my coach help me out."