Virginia forward TJ Power enters NCAA transfer portal

According to On3’s Joe Tipton, Virginia forward TJ Power has entered the NCAA transfer portal. Power spent just one season with the program and will be going through the transfer process for the second time.

Duke is where Power began his playing career. Staying inside the ACC with Virginia, there was some more playing time available during the 2024-2025 season. Power appeared in 24 games with five starts, averaging 9.4 minutes per game.

However, there were some decreases when looking at the season-long stats. Power averaged just 1.3 points and one rebound while shooting 20.5% from the field. Certainly not the type of season he expected when committing to the Hoos.

“To us, TJ is still a first-year guy,” former Virginia interim head coach Ron Sanchez said in January. “He doesn’t have a tremendous amount of playing experience. We’re just trying to coach him up, coach him up defensively. He was in the gym this morning getting shots up We’re behind the scenes still investing into all our guys into their individual development.

“We feel that if they can get one percent better we as a team get one percent better. Guys will continue to get opportunities here and I’m hoping that any of them could have a breakout game here and there and that will inject into their confidence and continue their play throughout ACC play.”

Power played high school basketball at Shrewsbury (MA) Worcester Academy, where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 19 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

“TJ Power has a toughness about him,” On3’s Jamie Shaw said in a scouting report. “At 6-foot-8, that is one of the first things you notice in his game. As the game progresses, you see the full skill set. He is an excellent passer, able to initiate off the rebound or line up across multiple areas on the floor and make plays.

“The footspeed will be a question, but he understands angles and help-defense. We would like to see Power more aggressively look to score at times, but his ability to fill a stat sheet makes everyone on the floor better. Power is also a baseball pitching prospect.”

Power debuts as the No. 66 player in the On3 Industry Transfer Portal Rankings. Classified as a small forward, he ranks No. 17 at the position.