Forward Tevian Jones commits to Illinois

The hype train keeps rolling for Brad Underwood and Illinois Basketball after the Illini secured a commitment from Tevian Jones on Tuesday, the fifth member of their 2018 class.

A 6-foot-6, 200-pound forward from Culver City, California, Jones is quite the catch for Illinois’ class this late in the recruiting cycle. Once an easy pickup for Arizona, accusations of Wildcats head coach Sean Miller pulled Jones away from Tucson and made him a reasonable get for the Illini.

According to 247sports, Jones is a four-star recruit.

Jones began his official visit with Illinois on March 9 and was visited by Illinois assistant Chin Coleman on Feb. 9.

He also had offers from California, Nevada, San Diego State and UNLV.

Jones joins Ayo Dosunmu, Alan Griffin, Samba Kane and Giorgi Beshanishvili in Illinois’ 2018 class. Griffin, Kane and Samba have all committed in March.

Jones will add length and athleticism to an undersized Illinois team, one that struggled this past season in the paint specifically. He also is a talented scorer, averaging 20.5 points this season and grabbing nine rebounds per game.

Currently, the Illini have two open scholarships left for the 2018-19 season. Freshman guard Mark Smith transferred away from the program in early March. Michael Finke and Te’Jon Lucas are also transferring, and Leron Black is turning pro.

Below is a highlight tape of Jones from August.

Stay tuned to The Champaign Room for more information on Jones’ commitment and the future of Illinois Basketball.