Powell declares for NBA Draft

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - University of Arkansas redshirt junior Marshawn Powell has decided to forego his final year of eligibility and enter the 2013 National Basketball Association Draft.

Powell, a second-team All-SEC performer by the league's coaches and honorable mention All-SEC player by the Associated Press, has not hired an agent.

"I wish Marshawn all the best as he moves on to the next stage of his basketball career," Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson said. "He had a tremendous junior season after recovering from a knee injury and was a big part of the success that we had this season. He is a skilled forward who can stretch the defense because of his ability to shoot. He can also create by putting it on the floor and has a nice post up game. I feel that his best basketball is in front of him."

This fall, Powell became the 35th player in Arkansas history to score 1,000 career points and ended the year as just the fifth Razorback to ever score 1,000 points, grab 450 rebounds, block 75 shots and dish 100 assists. Those lofty numbers put him in company with former Razorbacks Todd Day, Corliss Williamson, Scott Hastings and Ron Huery. He scored a career high 33 points in Arkansas' win over Oklahoma in early December and finished the year as the Razorbacks' leader in free throws made, free throws attempted, defensive rebounds, total rebounds and rebounding average and was second on the team in minutes played, field goal percentage and blocks,

Over the course of his four-year Arkansas career, Powell averaged 13.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting 49.2 percent from the floor. His numbers were even better in Southeastern Conference play as he averaged 14.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. He was one of four unanimous selections to the SEC All-Freshman team selection in 2010 along with NBA first-round picks John Wall, Demarcus Cousins and Erik Bledsoe of Kentucky, and ended his first year in Fayetteville as the No. 3 scorer and No. 2 rebounder in school history by a freshman.

For more information regarding Razorback men's basketball or University of Arkansas athletics, please visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com.