Former 5-Star TJ Power Commits To Virginia
By Josh Burton
Tony Bennett is back to his winning ways over the last 48 hours, adding former 5-star recruit TJ Power this time. The Duke transfer was the first of two commitments on Monday, later joined by former San Diego State forward Elijah Saunders. On Saturday, Florida State guard Jalen Warley become Bennett's first transfer recruit of the spring.
The 6’9” Power joins the Hoos after having spent last season as a reserve for Duke. While he appeared in 26 games last season, he averaged under seven minutes per game and never really got a chance to show his ability there. Power will have three seasons to play.
LETS DO IT #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/zhSKbH2nvy
— TJ Power (@TJPower14) May 6, 2024
TJ Power’s Recruitment
Power’s transfer recruitment was played very tight to the vest. He didn’t actually visit UVA, settling for a zoom visit instead. UVA beat out both Wake Forest and the hometown Boston College for Power, both schools he did take unofficial visits to recently.
Luckily for Tony Bennett and co, the staff had spent a ton of time recruiting him originally out of high school. Virginia was the perceived runner up the first time around, with some believing that had the right situation occurred then he would have been a Hoo from the start.
Power was very highly regarded coming out of high school, rated the 17th overall recruit and a five-star by 247. TJ joins the team as the highest rated recruit Tony Bennett has had while at UVA.
What TJ Power Brings to Virginia
Virginia had a major hole at the 4 spot following the departures of Ryan Dunn and Leon Bond. Since transfer recruiting season got underway it’s been believed that they would look to add two forwards if possible. In the perfect scenario the two additions would complement each other's skillsets while also being versatile for lineup flexibility. Power and fellow transfer addition Elijah Saunders certainly fit the bill.
Power is known for both his shooting ability and his passing ability. While not the most aggressive scorer, he’s known for making the right play and always helping to put his teams in a position to be successful. Looking specifically at the offensive end, Power’s ability to space the floor while also being able to make the correct play will open up a lot of options as the Hoos look to revamp their stagnant-at-times offense.
The other end of the court is where the biggest questions for Power will be. As we all know, everything at UVA begins and ends with defense. Should Power be able to show that he is a capable defender, I expect him to play a major role for the Hoos next season and beyond.
Virginia’s Recruiting Going Forward
With the addition of TJ Power and Elijah Saunders, Virginia now sits at 12 scholarship players for the 2024-2025 season, leaving just one open spot.
Virginia would like to use that open scholarship on Kansas State transfer point guard Dai Dai Ames. He is currently on a visit at UVA. A former Top 70 ranked recruit, the freshman started 16 games for the Wildcats this season. If that doesn't pan out, we'll see if they choose to continue pursuing other transfers. They have a pretty full roster after today's addition, and pocketing the scholarship would make 2025 recruiting a bit easier.
The Wrap
I’m not going to deny my personal excitement for this one. Going into the spring recruiting season, TJ Power was at the top of my personal list of preferences. He’s a very high end talent who could really raise the ceiling for Hoos should he reach his potential. His abilities on offense will allow the staff a variety of options to revamp the system. And with three seasons to play, he fits in seamlessly with the current young stable of players on the roster.
After what felt like week after week of disappointing news, UVA has bounced back in a huge way. More good news should be on the way for the Hoos sooner rather than later, be sure to follow along on Locker Room Access and join VIP for the most up to the minute coverage of all things UVA Basketball anywhere on the internet!
(Featured Image Credit: Getty)