Kansas Jayhawks extend men’s basketball scholarship offer to Worcester’s TJ Power

TJ Power, a 6-foot-8, 210-pound high school senior power forward from Worcester (Massachusetts) Academy, has been offered a men’s basketball scholarship by Kansas, he has reported on Twitter.

Power — he averaged 23.6 points and 8.0 rebounds a game for Boston Amateur Basketball Club (BABC) at the Nike EYBL circuit event Thursday through Sunday at Kansas City’s Hy-Vee Arena — is ranked No. 53 in the recruiting Class of 2023 by 247sports.com, No. 63 by Rivals.com and No. 99 by ESPN.com.

Power scored 41 points on 11-of-19 shooting (16-of-22 from the free throw line) with 15 rebounds and five assists in a 76-66 victory Saturday against Houston Hoops. He had 33 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in a 91-87 win Friday over Seattle Rosary. Power was 5-of-6 from three in that game.

He is being recruited by KU, UCLA, Virginia, Indiana, Duke, USC, Ohio State, Iowa, Boston College, Providence, Wake Forest, USC, Stanford, South Carolina, Xavier, Oklahoma, Miami, Georgia Tech, Penn State, Wake Forest, Notre Dame and others.

“Thank you to coach (Norm) Roberts for a great call. I’m honored to receive an offer from the University of Kansas!!” Power wrote Sunday on Twitter.

Originally from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, Power, an outstanding pitching prospect, wants to play baseball and basketball in college.

“Nobody seemed to generate more of a buzz from the assembled college coaches than TJ Power. He was crushing it all weekend long for BABC and had coaches going particularly crazy after a 41-point outing on Saturday night,” wrote Eric Bossi of 247sports.com.

“He played with intensity and energy and showed flashes of what could turn out to be elite shot making ability on the next level and serious positional versatility,” Bossi added.

MOKAN Basketball goes 5-1, advances to Peach Jam

MOKAN Basketball won five of six games at the Kansas City EYBL event and wrapped up a berth at Peach Jam for the 10th straight year.

MOKAN went 17-2 combined during spring-summer Nike tour stops at KC, Orlando, Indianapolis and Louisville. The second best record in MOKAN’s classification went to the NJ Scholars at 15-4, followed by Team Final 12-7, Indy Heat 9-10, Pro Skills 9-10, Brad Beal Elite 9-10, Team Thad 8-11, Seattle Rotary 7-12, BABC 6-13 and Strive for Greatness 4-15.

Peach Jam, which crowns an overall Nike EYBL AAU champion, is set for July 17-24 in North Augusta, South Carolina.

Omaha Biliew, a 6-foot-8 senior forward from Link Year Academy in Branson Missouri, who is considering KU, Iowa State, Oregon and the NBA G League, scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting and grabbed four rebounds in MOKAN’s 69-57 win over Brad Beal Elite on Sunday. Trey Green (Link Year Academy) and Kayden Fish (Staley High) scored 13 and 10 points respectively for the winners.

Scotty Middleton, a 6-7 senior forward from Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas, who is considering KU, UConn, Seton Hall, Texas A&M and Ohio State, scored 11 points with three blocks for Brad Beal Elite.

Biliew had just three points in MOKAN’s only loss, a 78-76 overtime decision to NH Lightning on Saturday. Kyle Pock (Bolivar High) had 13 points and eight boards, while Green and Kennard Davis (Vashon High School) and 15 points each.

Also Saturday, Green had 14 points in a 56-49 win over Team Takeover.

In other MOKAN games, Green had 11 points in a 54-47 win over NJ Scholars; Biliew, Green and Kyan Evans (Staley High) each had nine points in a 58-43 win over Mac Irvin Fire; Green 12 points and eight assists with five rebounds in a 64-56 win over Indy Heat.

Biliew is ranked No 9 in the recruiting Class of 2023 by ESPN.com, No. 16 by 247sports.com and No. 19 by Rivals.com.

Biliew told Jayhawkslant.com his focus is on Peach Jam more than recruiting at the present time.

“I’ve always wanted to do that (win at Peach Jam) since last year. You know, even us losing at GEICO in the National Championship, it just makes you want to strive for that Peach Jam even more,” Biliew said.

“Trae Young and Michael Porter, Jr., won it for MOKAN and that was probably the most iconic and the 2018 group also won it,” Biliew added. “The group with N’Faly Dante and all those, it;s history at MOKAN. I want to be one of the ones that accomplishes that, also.”

Of KU, he said: “The history, coach (Bill) Self and they just won a national championship. I love winners and I’m a winning guy. I want to be where there’s winning and where I get the most out of myself.

“Gradey Dick and I, we just know each other and we’re familiar with each other from playing against each other a lot of times. I’m very fond of him,” Biliew added of KU’s freshman guard out of Sunrise Christian Academy.