Schools trying to keep up with Jones
Mike Jones is a laid back, enjoy life as it goes by kind of guy. He's taking the same approach with his recruitment and is listening to the pitches that come his way. The recently crowned five-star prospect said he's ready for July and ready to see what schools take their efforts to land him to another level.
The 6-foot-6, 210-pound small forward from Lower Richland High School in Hopkins, S.C. played himself to the No. 30 spot on the Rivals150 with an aggressive offensive approach but the high praise has not affected Jones, his game or his approach with recruiting.
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"It's the same schools," Jones said. "I'm still looking at the same ones."
Jones said he's holding offers from Clemson, Connecticut, Florida, Florida State, Maryland, Miami, NC State and South Carolina and all of the programs remain the same in their efforts. With offers from some of the top programs on the East Coast, Jones said he isn't ready to jump to a commitment.
"I'm wide open. I want to take it slow and not rush into a decision," Jones said. "I want to talk to my mom after the summer and trim things down so I can make some official visits. I'll probably sign in November."
Jones said he'd like to hear from Syracuse and North Carolina.
Always the simple man, Jones said he isn't looking for a special pitch from coaches. He's looking for a place where he can make an instant impact.
"I want to go somewhere that I can play right away," Jones said. "That's pretty big with me."
Coaches will have a chance to see Jones at the Nike All-American camp in the first week of July. Until then, he's in the classroom taking summer school courses to improve his grades and in the gym, still working on his game.
"Tremendously," Jones said on how hard he was working on his jump shot. "It's come along because of hard work in the gym. Sometimes when I get in a rhythm, I stay in that rhythm for a long time."
For Jones, that rhythm has been going strong since the Real Deal on the Hill in mid-April. He hopes it continues for his last go round on the AAU circuit with the South Carolina Ravens.