Duke basketball recruiting: Rivals among finalists for elite forward

Duke and UNC look like frontrunners for TJ Power.

Duke basketball recruiting target TJ Power (Christine Peterson-USA TODAY Sports)

On Monday afternoon, Worcester Academy (Mass.) power forward TJ Power announced five finalists in his recruitment. The list includes the Duke basketball program and its UNC basketball counterpart, which makes sense given the Blue Devils and Tar Heels hosted him for official visits two weeks ago.

Boston College, Iowa, and Virginia are the other three schools that survived the cut for the 6-foot-8, 210-pound versatile four-star.

Power, who ranks No. 63 overall on the 247Sports 2023 Composite but seems on the rise after shining in Nike EYBL action this summer, told On3 national recruiting insider Joe Tipton that he's likely to choose a winner from the group by the end of September.

A fifth and final piece to the 2023 Duke basketball recruiting class?

Duke already boasts four 2023 pledges, all five-star talents, and sits No. 1 overall on the 247Sports 2023 Team Rankings. But Kentucky isn't far behind, and first-year head coach Jon Scheyer appears to be locking in on landing at least one more prize to complete the impressive haul.

And TJ Power might end up being the answer. After all, he is the only prospect in his class who both holds a Duke offer and still seems to be considering the Blue Devils.

Here's what Power said to Joe Tipton about the Duke option after naming his finalists:

"I think I really fit the mold of the players [Jon Scheyer] is recruiting: unselfish players who can score and who all prioritize winning. The culture there would fit me great. Being able to play on the biggest stage is something I've always wanted."

RELATED: Future Duke guard Caleb Foster helping Blue Devils recruit

The 247Sports Crystal Ball for TJ Power does not yet contain any predictions.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country for more Duke basketball recruiting updates.