Seton Hall Hoops Great Files Suit Against School, Coach, Trainer

NEWARK, NJ — Former Seton Hall basketball star Myles Powell filed a lawsuit Wednesday in superior court against the university, head coach Kevin Willard and the team's director of sports medicine, claiming Powell was not told of the serious nature of a knee injury suffered during his senior season of 2019-20.

According to the suit, Powell continued to play despite the injury and ultimately "suffered severe and permanent injuries, including physical and emotional pain and monetary damages," the latter stemming from Powell not getting drafted in the NBA, which he believes was related to the injury.

Powell is asking for damages and other appropriate relief.

The lawsuit states that Powell, a 6-foot-2, guard from Trenton, contemplated foregoing his senior season in order to enter the NBA Draft. But as an incentive to stay in school, the university said it would purchase an insurance policy on Powell's behalf in case Powell got injured during his final season.

Expectations were high for Powell and the Pirates entering the 2019-20 campaign, with Powell being named a preseason First-Team All-American and the preseason Big East Player of the Year.

However, in the second game of the season against Stony Brook, Powell suffered what he thought was an ankle injury. According to the suit, Powell was examined by Willard and Tony Testa, the trainer, and told it was indeed an ankle injury, and continuing to play would not exacerbate the injury.

Relying on the information, Powell played the next game, a high-profile, national television, matchup against Michigan State, scoring a game-high 37 points. In fact, after suffering a concussion and missing two games, Powell continued to play and practice, although he still felt pain in his leg.

Whenever, he would ask Testa about the injury, the trainer would advise him that it was just a bone bruise. At times, before games, Testa would inject Powell with pain killer medication to mask or alleviate the pain, allowing Powell to "perform on behalf of the university," the lawsuit states.

During the season, Powell continued to play wall, and in January 2020, he passed the 2,000 point mark for his career. He was named Big East Player of the Year and won the Jerry West Award as college basketball’s top shooting guard.

What Powell did not know, the lawsuit states, is that the defendants knew he had not just suffered an ankle injury and concussion, but also "a lateral meniscus tear to his right knee which should have necessitated him sitting out the rest of the season so as not to exacerbate the injury."

The lawsuit states that because of Powell's standout career, he should have been "guaranteed to be selected as a lottery pick in the NBA Draft," but that NBA teams suspected or discovered Powell had a serious injury to his right knee, and he was not drafted.

Although the knee injury may have played a role in teams backing off Powell, Nicholas Katzban on NorthJersey.com notes that Powell was not projected to be selected for the NBA in any major mock drafts by industry experts because he was small for a shooting guard.

Katzban said Powell could not be reached for comment, and that the Seton Hall Athletic Department will not be commenting, citing university policy about impending litigation.

Prior to the 2020-21 season, Powell went to preseason training camp with the New York Knicks, and ended up playing for their G League affiliate the Westchester Knicks in last season's G League Bubble. There, Powell averaged 17.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4 assists in 13 games.

Powell was then signed to a two-way (NBA/G League) contract by the Milwaukee Bucks, waived by the Bucks, and he ultimately re-signed with the Knicks on a two-way contract in April.

However, the Knicks released Powell the next day, and reportedly only signed him to give him some extra money for his contributions to their G League affiliate, according to HoopsRumors.com.

Powell did not play a regular-season game in the NBA last season.