BURLINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Derrick Jones was invited to the USA U17 trials in Colorado Springs, CO, this week, but instead of competing against Malik Newman, Tyus Battle and Malik Monk he’s here in central New Jersey helping to support his father’s AAU team and a startup AAU event, Battle of the Borders.
“I wanted to go but I stayed back because it’s my father’s team,” the 6-foot-7 Jones told SNY.tv Thursday afternoon at Life Center Academy. “I already got the [recruiting] looks so I knew if I would’ve played in this tournament a couple college coaches would’ve came to my games, so I wanted…[my teammates] to get the looks, too.”
Jones certainly doesn’t need much help in his own recruitment.
The high-flying wing from Radnor (Pa.) Archbishop Carroll recently picked up an offer from SMU, and plans to visit Kentucky, Louisville, Indiana, Kansas and Auburn in the coming weeks. He recently visited UConn as well.
“[SMU] Coach [Larry] Brown was extremely excited about what he saw in Atlanta,” WE-R1 coach Terrell Myers told SNY.tv, referring to Jones and WE-R1 winning last week’s Under Armour Finals.
“I don’t think he’s seen Derrick that often so when he did see him, he said he’s one of the best players he’s seen in the last two years and compared him to Connie Hawkins, saying that the kid has a bright future. He just wondered if he has an opportunity to recruit him coming in later. If he has the opportunity to be recruited by a legendary coach like Coach Brown it’s just a huge accomplishment.”
Said Jones: “It’s great just having another school like that offering me. I really haven’t heard of SMU like that until Emmanuel Mudiay committed.” [Mudiay, of course, is now going to play in China instead of staying at SMU.]
Meantime, Derrick Jones Sr. said they plan to visit several other schools in the coming weeks.
“Yes, he’s going to visit Kentucky, Louisville, Indiana, Kansas and I want to go down to Auburn as well,” Jones Sr. said, adding that Chuck Person is recruiting his son to Auburn. “Those schools right now have a lot of open space, especially Auburn rebuilding and trying to come back.”
The younger Jones said he’s excited to see several of those schools.
On Kentucky: “The coach just texted me the other day. Slice he texted me and said Coach Cal wanted me to see a video. i just looked at it…It’s a great school. Anybody would be lucky to just go to Kentucky or go to any school really. That’s a great honor just being able to be able to play and be gifted with the gift I got.”
On Louisville: “They just offered me because the assistant coach Kenny Johnson, he just went there from Indiana. He was on me hard at Indiana and he talked to coach Rick Pitino and he said he wanted me and he told him just go after me if he thinks I’m the guy.”
On UConn, which he recently visited: “It’s a great school, the visit was great. I’m not sure where I’m going to go right now. It was great being able to go there. Them coming off a national championship, it’s another school that’s great to have with me.”
Derrick Jones Sr. added that UConn is recruiting his son the hardest right now.
“UConn is definitely recruiting hard, actually I think the hardest in my eyes,” he said.
Meantime, Syracuse, which has long been linked to Jones, is now focusing on a big man, preferably Thomas Bryant, with their last 2015 scholarship.
“If that’s what they want to do, best of luck to them,” Jones told SNY.tv. “If they come for me, then they come for me. I’m just going to sit back and wait it out. If they need a big then they should go for the big, but if they need the wing, then I’m available. I’m open to every school. It’s not just going to be that one school that I’m just focused on.
“I’m open to every school and whatever school catches my eye or I feel comfortable with more, that’s going to be the school that I go to.”
Photo: Dennis Nett/ Syracuse.com
