Duke basketball recruiting: Dual-sport athlete nearing decision

Duke basketball's five-month drought on the recruiting trail could end in a couple of weeks.

Worcester Academy (Mass.) power forward TJ Power, who has expressed interest in dabbling as a pitcher on the baseball diamond for whichever college he chooses, is tentatively looking to announce his decision in mid-September. And the Duke basketball staff remains a top contender to land the newly minted five-star.

RELATED: Blue Devils on board with recruit playing two sports

The 6-foot-8, 210-pound savvy stretch-four recently skyrocketed almost 40 spots to No. 24 overall on the 247Sports 2023 Composite, subsequently amplifying the attention on the homestretch of his recruitment.

His addition to the Blue Devils would snap their five-month commitment drought and give the program some cushion atop the 247Sports 2023 Team Rankings. But four other finalists are still in play: Boston College, Iowa, Virginia, and UNC.

As for the leader, that depends on which insider you ask. The empty 247Sports Crystal Ball and Rivals FutureCast for Power show none are confident enough to register an official prediction just yet.

Factors in TJ Power's recruitment may bode well for Duke basketball

On Wednesday, Jamie Shaw of On3 provided arguably the most insightful breakdown of TJ Power's options while ultimately painting Duke and Virginia as the alphas — with UNC in a close third.

Power's most recent visits were to UNC and Duke in late July.

On the other hand, as Shaw pointed out, Power's trip to Charlottesville in late May left many believing Virginia was the team to beat. However, that was before Duke and UNC entered the fray following his eye-popping summer performances on the Nike EYBL circuit.

In fairness to Iowa, though, the Hawkeyes hosted Power way back in October and were among the first schools to prioritize him.

Shaw also noted that Power has family on Tobacco Road and relatives who are UNC alums. Then again, his immediate family attended Boston College.

Here's another interesting tidbit: Power has admitted growing up a fan of Duke and Virginia, not to mention the "surreal" tag he used to describe the moment he received an offer from first-year Blue Devil head coach Jon Scheyer.

Finally, there's no telling if Duke's four five-star 2023 pledges will act more as a deterrent or magnet for Power. Those four 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 and other Duke basketball recruiting updates.