Every year, there is at least one Ivy League player who stands out ahead of the NCAA Tournament. This year, it’s TJ Power. He is a former five-star recruit who went on from studying in Duke and Virginia to Penn State. Let’s get to know more about this prolific forward who is now putting college hoops on notice.
Who is TJ Power?
TJ Power comes from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, and attended Worcester Academy, known as one of the best prep schools in New England. He averaged 23.7 points and shot 45% from deep in the final EYBL session in Kansas City, leading Worcester to consecutive NEPSAC Class AA championships. Besides playing basketball, he was also a standout baseball pitcher who posted a 1.69 ERA and 31 strikeouts across 20.2 innings as a senior. In high school, Power was ranked No. 17 nationally in the Class of 2023 and was recruited by Duke.
Things didn’t go as planned at Duke. With a front court consisting of Kyle Filipowski and Mark Mitchell, and later, Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach, there was no chance for Power to break into the roster. He later transferred to Virginia. In his two seasons at ACC, he averaged just 1.7 points per game.
After Virginia, Power tried his luck at Penn State. He became the first former five-star recruit in the program’s history. Penn’s coach, Fran McCaffery, had tracked Power’s potential for years and had finally gotten his man. And seemingly so, Power fit in well with Penn, averaging 15.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, earning unanimous first-team All-Ivy honors.
How Did TJ Power Perform in the Victorious Ivy League Tournament Game?
Penn faced Yale in the Ivy League Tournament game, and TJ Power helped the Quakers win. With 12 seconds left in regulation and Yale up by four, Power hit a three to cut the deficit to one. He then took the inbounds pass after Yale made two free throws, made a drive, and pulled up from three on the right wing to force overtime.
Power finished with 44 points on 53% shooting, going 7/14 from the deep and perfect 9-of-9 from the foul line. He added 14 rebounds in this game, becoming the first player ever to score 40 points in an Ivy League Tournament game. Penn won the game 88-84 to clinch the Ivy League Tournament championship.
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