Late Wednesday afternoon, Duke basketball cushioned its standing atop the 247Sports Team Rankings for the 2023 class with the announced commitment from Worcester Academy (Mass.) power forward TJ Power.
The 6-foot-8, 210-pound stretch-four recently skyrocketed to No. 24 overall on the 247Sports 2023 Composite while earning a fifth star to his composite rating after showing off his top-notch versatility on the Nike EYBL circuit this summer.
He picked the Blue Devils over his other four finalists: Boston College, Iowa, UNC, and Virginia.
Adding to the impressiveness of Duke's feat, it's worth noting that first-year head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff were the last to extend an offer to Power — a long-time fan of the Blue Devils — before hosting him for an official visit in late July.
Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports recently summarized the rise of TJ Power, whose game brings to mind 2010 Duke basketball national champ and Blue Devil legend Kyle Singler:
"Power came up the ranks as a two-sport star who doubled as a left-handed pitcher on the baseball diamond. Of course, he played basketball as a righty, illustrating how he was literally ambidextrous. While he's been a high-major prospect for years now, his recruitment blew up this summer in correlation to the gains he has made as a three-point shooter within the last year, as he is now stretching the floor with accurate consistency."
TJ Power is the fifth player in his class to commit to the Blue Devils and the first Duke pledge in five months.
The program's other four 2023 prizes are also five-star talents. They are point guard Caleb Foster, shooting guard Jared McCain, small forward Mackenzie Mgbako, and power forward Sean Stewart.
Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country for more on TJ Power's commitment and other Duke basketball recruiting updates.
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