TJ Power cuts list to 5; UVA battling Duke, UNC for 4-star

jerryratcliffe.com

Posted on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, 6:27 pm

Follow Jerry Ratcliffe on Twitter

Advertising inquiries: Connect with us

Email Jerry Ratcliffe: jratcliffe7000@gmail.com

 

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Photo: The Daily Hoosier

One of Virginia basketball’s priority recruiting targets, forward T.J. Power, has cut his list of schools to five, and the Cavaliers are still alive in the chase.

Power said on social media Monday afternoon that he had trimmed his choices to Virginia, Duke, North Carolina, Iowa and Boston College.

The 6-foot-8, 4-star, who has NBA range with his shot, is from Shrewsberry, Mass., and plays for Worcester Academy. He eliminated Notre Dame, Miami, Oklahoma, Penn State, South Carolina, UConn, Georgia Tech, Marquette and others.

“It’s been crazy,” Power told On3 over a recent chat. “The way it’s built up, I’ve been able to build a lot of strong relationships and have seen a lot of schools that I really like. I’ve played well the last few weekends here recently, and it kind of changes when the blue bloods come in. I definitely value the relationships I still have and I’m going to look into those places hard still, but I’m also excited to build new relationships with these new schools and explore these other options.”

Power, who is expected to announce his decision in mid-to-late September, is rated the No. 60 overall prospect in the Class of 2023 by Rivals (No. 14 power forward in the class), No. 51 by 247Sports (the No. 11 power forward), and No. 21 overall (No. 6 power forward) by On3.

Last season, Power led Worcester to the Class AA state title and averaged 13.1 points, 7.2 rebounds per game. His scoring has evolved and his numbers jumped dramatically during summer AAU play.

“Coach (Tony) Bennett and I are all about the same stuff,” said Power. “I’m really impressed with their player development and the winning brand there. I love the discipline they have on both ends of the floor and how efficient they are.”