Photos by: David Spagnolo P’18
Two South Kent School alumni have recently signed with teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Elijah Hughes ’16 was selected 39th in the 2nd round of the 2020 draft by the Utah Jazz. Myles Powell ’16 has signed an unaffiliated free agent contract to the New York Knicks.
“We are very excited for and proud of both Elijah and Myles for taking the next step to the NBA! The transformation that Myles made at Seton Hall and the way he performed on the national stage, earning 1st Team All-American, was truly remarkable and shows that he is capable of anything he wants to achieve. Elijah’s journey to the NBA draft, under recruited at South Kent then transferring from ECU to become a star at Syracuse has been amazing. He was a community favorite on campus here and has the ability to do so many things well on the court. We wish both of these members of our class of 2016 nothing but the best of luck in the NBA!” said Owen Finberg, Director of Athletics.
Hughes and Powell add to the ranks of 8 other recent South Kent alumni who have been drafted to the NBA and are included in the over 80 current and past SKS students who have committed to NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball. Both men played on the Prep Basketball team together with current Boston Celtics point guard Tremont Waters ’17.
“The Annual NBA Draft is always an exciting time for the basketball community. Over the years it’s been an exceptionally exciting time on the Hillside, as we have had many alumni drafted on that special night. Watching Elijah getting his name called at number 39 carries that time-honored tradition forward for South Kent School and our Prep Basketball program. It took a few hours longer than we expected, but Myles being signed by the Knicks the following day was celebrated every bit as much by all of us here. We continue to recruit talented players of great character who have the potential to play at the top levels of the game. It is truly inspiring to walk into the gym and see how many times a student-athlete has gone on from the Hillside to reach that level. We wish Elijah and Myles continued success and look forward to following their careers!” said Raphael Chillious, Director of Basketball and Prep Basketball Head Coach.
Both players had notable Division I collegiate careers after graduating from South Kent School. Hughes played at East Carolina University for one season before transferring to Syracuse. He was an All-ACC 1st team selection last year before declaring for the draft. Powell had a decorated career over four years with the Seton Hall Pirates. As a sophomore he was named to the Big East All-Academic team and the conference’s Most Improved Player. During his junior year he was 1st team All-Big East and won the Haggerty Award as the best player in the New York Metropolitan Area. He rounded out his career winning the Big East Player of the Year, the Jerry West Award as the best shooting guard in the country, the Haggerty Award again, and being Seton Hall’s first 1st team All-American since 1953.
Congratulations, Myles and Elijah! We look forward to watching you play in the NBA in the upcoming season and hope to see you back on the Hillside in the future.