[2] He played collegiately at the University of Illinois from 2001 to 2005, after having attended Joliet Central High School, with a 2001 graduation.

Powell was a three-year starter and a four-year letter winner for Joliet Township High School.

Also as a junior, he earned a bronze medal as a member of the 1999 USA Basketball Men's Youth Development Festival North Team.

His role was primarily to provide a spark off the bench which he did against Wisconsin, scoring six points on 3-of-3 shooting and grabbing four rebounds, three offensive.

In the NCAA tournament, he provided four points and four rebounds in seven minutes of play in Illinois' first-round win against San Diego State.

He was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team leading Illinois with 16 points in the title game versus Ohio State.

He participated on the Big Ten European Tour team and led the squad in scoring 14 points per game.

[3] In the 2004 NCAA tournament, he scored 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting in the second-round win over Cincinnati and followed that performance with a team-high 15-point, eight-rebound game in a Sweet 16 loss to Duke.

In his final season, Powell was named an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection by both league coaches and media.

[4] Powell continued to pursue a career in the NBA trying out for the Utah Jazz where he was reunited with former Illini teammates Dee Brown and Deron Williams.

After working relentlessly over the summer, Powell made the Jazz's final roster for the 2006–07 NBA season.

However, he was cut in mid-January, having scored his first points in the NBA with a pair of free throws on November 18, 2006, against the Phoenix Suns after being fouled by Shawn Marion.

In April 2007, he received the NBA Development League 2006–07 Jason Collier Sportsmanship Award for Conduct and Character on court.

On October 28, 2010, he signed a contract with the German club Skyliners Frankfurt until mid-January, with an extension option until the end of the season.

On June 28, 2011, Powell joined the coaching staff of the Valparaiso Crusaders men's basketball team, as an assistant.