Duke Loses Former Top-20 Recruit to ACC Rival

Former Duke freshman forward TJ Power has officially committed to Virginia, joining an ACC rival while leaving the Blue Devils after just one season.

A five-star, top-20 recruit out of high school, Power averaged 2.1 points in only 6.7 minutes per game in 2023. He was expected to have a larger role as a sophomore but elected to leave instead, an understandable decision given the No. 1 recruiting class Duke has coming in this season.

Power will almost certainly have more opportunities at Virginia, though it still hurts to see him stay in the conference at a different school.

Duke News: TJ Power Commits to Virginia

The No. 19 overall recruit in the country in his class, Power helped lead his team to consecutive NEPSAC Class AA championships in his final two high school seasons. He was named the 2021-21 Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year, averaging 13.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

He's a shrewd defender with some shooting touch as well, making 35.7% of his three-pointers as a Blue Devil.

While Power never scored double-digits at Duke, he did have seven points in only four minutes against North Carolina in the ACC Tournament. He posted nine points in just five minutes against La Salle back in November, making three of four three's during his short time on the court.

I fully expect Power to develop into a reliable player for the Cavaliers, who finished 23-11 last year under Tony Bennett.

Duke will be just fine with Cooper Flagg coming to town, but let's hope losing Power doesn't come back to bite the Blue Devils.

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