There's no way to sugarcoat it: Providence forward Duncan Powell crossed the line with his antics against St. John's on Saturday.
Powell, a senior from Dallas, Texas, is averaging 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game for the Friars this season. While he's considered somewhat of an enforcer, he committed a foul this afternoon that's flat-out unacceptable.
With 14:25 remaining in the second half, Powell fouled St. John’s forward Bryce Hopkins and threw him to the ground as he was attempting a layup in transition. It was a dangerous play that could've led to an injury.
Hopkins retaliated by shoving Powell, which then led to a benches-clearing brawl at Amica Mutual Pavilion.
Unsurprisingly, Powell was ejected for his role in this melee. Providence also lost Jaylin Sellers to an ejection.
St. John's, on the other hand, lost Dillon Mitchell, Kelvin Odih, Ruben Prey and Lefteris Liotopoulous to ejections.
Despite losing four players in this brawl, St. John's held on for a 79-69 win over Providence.
After Duncan Powell commits a hard foul on Bryce Hopkins, he actually stands over him and flexes like he made a good basketball play. Horrible. Needs to be sat down for multiple games. https://t.co/HD3WwMHUCA
— Darin Zoccali (@atTheTrack7) February 14, 2026
Will the Big East discipline Duncan Powell?
If fans have it their way, Powell won't see the hardwood for the foreseeable future. They believe his actions on Saturday warrant a lengthy suspension.
"Duncan Powell averages 5ppg and thinks he’s a star player lmao should be suspended the rest of the season for this," one fan said.
"Shameful display from Duncan Powell," a second fan wrote.
"Duncan Powell is a loser," a social media user commented. "Run through his chest on a screen. Set a hard pick, I get it. But fouling someone like that mid-air is a dirtbag move."
"That’s as dirty a play I’ve seen in quite some time by Duncan Powell," another fan declared.
We'd have to imagine the Big East will address this ugly incident within the next 24 hours.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Feb 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Basketball section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.