There might not have been another player in the country see their recruitment explode in July more than four-star forward TJ Power. Power averaged 15.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 4.9 assists a few weeks ago at Peach Jam, and he’s due for a massive rankings boost when we update them in a couple of weeks.
Today, the trending senior forward cut his list to five. Duke, North Carolina, Virginia, Iowa, and Boston College all made the cut. Power broke down each of the finalists with Rivals.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
Duke: “I visited there after Peach Jam I just like the way that Coach (Jon) Scheyer is building a team there. Obviously, Duke and the brand that they have, and being able to be a part of a team that shares the ball and shoots a lot of threes. He said that his goal is to lead the country in assists and three-point makes, so that really compliments my style. I think that the player development that they have there would really benefit my game as well.”
North Carolina: “I think that Coach (Hubert) Davis is really down to earth, and we have a good relationship. I think the way they play fits me, they play super fast and they’re explosive on offense. The brand there, too, playing at the highest level, and of course coming off of losing the national championship by two or three points. They’re right back in it this year as well, so just being able to be a part of that winning culture, too.”
Virginia: “Coach (Tony) Bennett and I have some great talks and I really like the player development that they have in store there. I think that it’s somewhere I could go and really, really improve my game. The discipline that they have offensively and defensively is the reason that they win and why they have productive players in the NBA, so there’s just a lot of things there that could really help me.”
Iowa: “Coach (Fran) McCaffrey and I probably have the longest relationship out of all of the coaches I talk to, so I mean, that’s my guy. He instills a lot of confidence in his players and they play really loose. They have a lot of success recently in the Big Ten and getting guys to the league, so I can kind of have it all there, too.”
Boston College: “I think it’s just a special opportunity just to stay home and play for Coach (Earl) Grant. I really like the energy that he has and the momentum around that program. I think they’re headed in a good direction, so to be a part of that core, I could really help BC raise its basketball stature. That would be really cool.
Visits: “I don’t (have any visits coming up). I’ve visited all five of those schools, so I might go back out, but I really haven’t planned it out yet. Right now, I don’t really see myself getting back out anywhere, but obviously that can change.”
Decision timeline: “I’m aiming for the end of September right now. I don’t have a date, but I’d definitely say the end of September.”
RIVALS REACTION
Power’s list makes a ton of sense for all schools involved. He fits the playing style at all five programs and also has key relationships thrown in there along with the hometown angle. Duke and North Carolina have been coming hard after the four-star prospect, and it’ll be interesting to see if a Blue Blood can overcome the longer relationships in the end.
