What Is Powder League Basketball?

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Despite the summer months and the NBA wrapping up their season, there is still some competitive basketball being played in Utah with the Powder League.

We are one week into the season of the Powder League and many have asked me what it is? Well, you are in luck because I caught up with the one of the founders of the Powder League to figure exactly what it is.

A great positive to the Powder League is that if you can’t catch the games live at American Prep Academy in Draper, you can watch the games live on KSLSports.com or the KSL Sports app for free. Once I explain what it is, you will be excited to catch these games.

Nice pass from Both Gach to Lahat Thioune for the slam. #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/1OWGuWKVGa

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 16, 2021

What Is Powder League Basketball?

The Powder League is a basketball pro-am league that brings some of the best talent in the state of Utah and even outside of the state in to play competitive basketball.

If you checked out the rosters, you will have seen current Utah, BYU, Utah State, UVU, Weber State, Southern Utah and Dixie State players that are participating. That is because the Powder League is an NCAA sanctioned/approved league as long as those players go through their schools compliance office.

Lahat Thioune with a nice bucket in the paint. #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/MX9kduiYzU

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 16, 2021

None of the players get paid to play in the Powder League, rather each player has to pay in order to participate.

Games are played on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays each week for nine weeks. Each team will play nine games with the postseason beginning in Week 10. The league has 12 teams that are named after their captain.

Covering the Utes, I looked at the rosters closely and easily spotted more than a dozen players that are currently playing or once played for the Runnin’ Utes.

Click here to check out the rosters.

After talking to Keegan Rembacz and NNeema Namdar, the co-founders of the Powder League, they have plans to bring in current NBA players for runs in the league. The league started with former Lone Peak High School and Duke star, and current Detroit Pistons guard Frank Jackson bringing his friends in for a competitive run during the off-season.

Jackson has ties to most of these players and relationships were built quickly over the last two years. Rembacz told KSL Sports that they are working on getting appearances from some big names in the NBA, including some Jazz players so stay tuned.

This week is full of great matchups. Beginning on Tuesday, June 22, here are the games:

Team Dastrup vs. Team Clarke at 7 p.m. MT

Team Humphries vs. Team Fulton, following the first game (around 8:30 p.m. MT)

Team Dastrup is led by former BYU and Oregon State guard Payton Dastrup. Also current BYU forward Caleb Lohner, along with former Utes Chris Seeley and Sedrick Barefield are on the team.

Team Clarke is led by captain Hunter Clarke. The team has current Runnin’ Utes guard Jaxon Brenchley and BYU’s Trevin Knell.

Team Humphries is led by captain Hunter Humphries and has former BYU guard Brandon Averette, along with Weber State standouts Zahir Porter and Michal Kozak.

Team Fulton is led by captain Connor Fulton. He has former BYU players Dalton Nixon, Evan Troy, Colby Leifson and Connor Harding on the team. Harding is currently with UVU.

To sum up everything that was mentioned above, the Powder League is basically one of the most competitive “pickup” basketball leagues.

Catch every Powder League game on KSLSports.com or the KSL Sports app.