Penn men’s basketball lands former top-25 recruit TJ Power
Power, a 6-foot-9 forward, played his freshman season at Duke then transferred to Virginia this past season.
The dominoes are falling for new Penn men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery.
Former Duke and Virginia forward TJ Power is transferring to Penn, he announced Saturday on Instagram.
“I’m just excited,” Penn forward Ethan Roberts told The Inquirer. “This shows, with Fran [McCaffery], where this program is heading. I just want to say, ‘load the wagon,’ I’m hype for TJ to get here, and he wants to win. He wants to play hard. There’s no better fit for him, so I’m just excited for him.”
Power, a 6-foot-8 junior, was a five-star and top 25 recruit coming out of high school. He’s considered the highest-ranked recruit to play at Penn.
He originally committed to Duke alongside 76ers rookie guard Jared McCain. Power’s time with the Blue Devils, though, was short-lived. He rarely saw playing time and averaged 2.1 points. He opted to transfer to Virginia, his second choice out of high school, after his freshman year.
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With the Cavaliers, Power continued to struggle. In 24 games, including five starts, he logged 1.3 points per game. With the departure of longtime Virginia coach Tony Bennett two weeks before the start of the season, nine members of Virginia’s roster entered the portal after the season.
Penn assistant coach Tristan Spurlock, who coached under McCaffery at Iowa, took to X following the announcement of Power’s transfer.
“I don’t think we are done yet,” Spurlock wrote.