‘Be a leader, work hard.’ How USC’s Carlos Powell is developing this future Gamecock.
Carlos Powell asks a simple question every time he sees Ja’Von Benson.
“When I see I ask him, I ask him ‘Are you better than you were yesterday?’ Powell said Monday before Ridge View’s game against Gray Collegiate in the MLK Bash. “Dreams only get greater when you work.”
Benson, the 6-8 Ridge View High School three-star senior forward had a breakout season as a junior and has been a dominant force for the top-ranked Blazers. This season, though, Powell, who was a forward for the Gamecocks from 2001-05, has been able to witness and help with Benson’s development.
Under Powell’s lead, Benson, who signed with South Carolina in November, is averaging 17.5 points and 11.3 rebounds a game. He had 20 points and 12 rebounds in Tuesday’s win over York.
Powell joined Yerrick Stoneman’s coaching staff at Ridge View in the offseason and is the team’s JV coach and an assistant for the varsity squad.
Powell was all-SEC selection for the Gamecocks and the 2005 NIT MVP. He finished his college career as the eighth-leading scorer in school history. Powell had stints on NBA training camp rosters and played professional basketball overseas for more than a decade. Now he’s helping to coach South Carolina’s future player.
Coach watches his future player
Powell was familiar with Benson before he took the job at Ridge View. He watched him play in the state championship game against Wilson, his alma mater, in the past two Class 4A championship games. Benson scored 14 points and get 10 rebounds in last season’s 65-52 win over Wilson for the Blazers’ second straight Class 4A title.
“He was a freak,” Powell said of Benson’s performance. ”He was the difference in the game, flying around, throwing it off the backboard, blocking shots. Doing what he does best.”
Running the floor and bringing energy to the team is something Powell was known for at USC and something he preaches to Benson.
“My biggest thing is to tell him to keep running. You are the biggest guy in the gym, you to the rim nobody can stop you,” Powell said. On the college level, he will be very energetic, finishing around the rim, blocking shots, starting the break and getting the crowd into it. He is going to be a heck of a player. I am going to be around to watch him. I will be on his tail every day.”
Benson, the No. 4 recruit in the state, estimates he gets at least four or six points a game just running the floor alone for layups and dunks. He also has expanded his game from outside the paint and isn’t shy about shooting from the perimeter.
Benson said working with Powell has been a big help to his game and the two will continue after the season as he gets ready to play for South Carolina.
“Just tells me to be a leader, work hard. Everything is for the next level. He is a great dude,,” Benson said of Powell “He tells me to don’t slack just cause I’m bigger than everyone, be creative and play stress free.”
Like Johndre Johnson, Chris Silva
Powell compared Benson to former USC players — Johndre Johnson and Chris Silva because of their ability to bring energy to the game and run the floor. Johnson, a 6-10 former Lake Marion standout, played forward at USC from 2009-11 and has played after overseas since graduating. He played last season in France.
Silva, a forward/center, was a popular figure at USC and a member of the Gamecocks 2017 Final Four team that lost to Gonzaga. Earlier this month, he signed a two-year deal with the Miami Heat after going undrafted in June.
Silva, who played at USC from 2015-19, averaged 5.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game as a freshman but excited fans with his energy and dunking ability.
He averaged 15.2 and 7.6 rebounds and was an all-SEC first-team selection his senior year.
“He can jump like both of them but he runs like a deer,” Powell said of Benson. “That is what those guys did when they came into Carolina. I think that what Ja’Von is going to do, screen roll. Dunk on a lot of people. He is going to have a lot of fans at Carolina.”
