WACO, Texas —Caden Powell grew up liking a couple of different sports but it didn’t take long for basketball to become his top choice.

What You Need To Know

  • Caden Powell is a senior at Waco Midway High School

  • Powell stands at a commanding 6 feet, 10 inches 

  • He has singed to play college basketball at Wyoming

  • In addition, he intends to study chemical engineering in college

“It was just my favorite sport out of all the sports I played, so it was the only one I wanted to play,” Powell said. “I didn’t like soccer anymore, I couldn’t play football, so it was just basketball.”

Powell says his mom did not want him to play football and the choice to focus on basketball has turned out to be a pretty good one. Powell has grown into a 6 foot, 10 inch long and athletic big man at Waco Midway High School. He’s one of the best players in Central Texas and gets the focus from other teams everyone he steps on the floor.

“It’s noticeably more difficult to get the ball sometimes,” Powell said. “There’s a double-team or maybe a triple-team, and at some points there’s four people on me. But it helps my teammates because they can get more open looks.”

Powell is enjoying these last few games with his high school teammates as the season winds down.

“Those are my guys, I wouldn’t trade them for anything,” he said. “It’s fun coming in here every morning and getting to work out with them.”

Powell’s basketball career will not stop at Midway, though. He recently signed a scholarship to play in college at the University of Wyoming.

“I don’t have to worry about how I’m going to get all the money I’d need to get my degree and at the same time I get to keep playing basketball, the sport that I love,” he said. “It’s a real positive, winning culture (at Wyoming). The atmosphere there is what really sold me.”

Powell says he hopes to study chemical engineering once he gets to college. He’s driven to succeed on and off the court to help his family out and pay back the sacrifices they’ve made for him.

“The thing that pushes me is knowing that I have a chance to do something special and also just seeing my parents do the same thing,” said Powell. “They wake up early to take me to school. I feel like if I don’t do the same then I’m not respecting all their decisions and sacrifices they made to get me to this moment right now.”