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NEW YORK — Tyus Jones will take the first of his official visits this weekend, when he and his good friend Jahlil Okafor trip to Baylor.
It is the first of three officials the point guard/center duo will take together, as they are also slated to visit Kansas on Oct. 18 and Duke on Oct. 25.
“We’re talking quite often,” Jones told SNY.tv in the above interview at the Elite 24. “We have three visits set up at the same time. We’re visiting Baylor, Kansas and Duke together. So talk quite often about it and excited to take our officials and to keep going with the process.”
By going on those visits together, Jones believes it sends a message that he and Okafor want to play together at the next level.
“I think it will be good for us,” he said. “I think it just sends a note that we’re serious about it, we’re not just all talk, and it’ll be a good time.”
Okafor’s father recently came out and said he was upset with the perception that the boys would definitely land at Duke.
Jones said he’s not bothered too much by that.
“Not too much, not too much,” Jones said.
“Myself and my family have been real good at blocking all the media stuff out and the rumors and stuff like that . I’m wide open at this point. I haven’t started to lean anywhere yet.”
With the commitment of Emmanuel Mudiay to SMU during the Elite 24 game, Jones added afterward that he’s still considering Kentucky, which remains in search of a point guard for 2014.
Most recently, Jones took an unofficial to Minnesota, the home-state school that is trying to land some combination of local stars that includes Jones, Reid Travis and Rashad Vaughn. Minnesota is not on Okafor’s list, however.
“We’re really just still building a relationship, it’s just continuing to grow,” Jones said of coach Richard Pitino and his staff. “They’re really looking at me and trying to sell their program and sell what they’re trying to do over their and just throw in a new twist to Minnesota basketball. And so I’m open for it and we’re just going with it right now.”
Jones reiterated that he’s looking to commit in late October or early November.
“I think we’ll all feel good when it’s time to commit,” he said.
