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Illinois landed its fifth commitment of the 2018 class from four-star, 6-foot-6, 200-pound wing Tevian Jones via his Twitter on Tuesday morning.
With all thanks to the man above, I am very proud to announce my commitment to the University of Illinois!!! #ILL pic.twitter.com/es0YGmf5nH
— ✨T.Jones✨ (@TheReal_TJones) April 3, 2018
The Facts
Brad Underwood and staff had felt like the frontrunners to land the California native for the past couple weeks now. Jones took an official visit to Champaign earlier last month, and the Illini had been in the driver’s seat of the recruitment amid scandals with Arizona and Head Coach Sean Miller.
Jones ran with the California Supreme Elite alongside Bol Bol and Shareef O’Neal in last summer’s Nike EYBL circuit, averaging over 10 points per game and four rebounds. He also averaged over 20 points and nine rebounds per game while shooting over 40 percent from three for Culver City High School in his senior season.
Film Study
Looking at Jones’ film, there’s not much to dislike. He’s a long, athletic wing with a variety of tools in his arsenal. He is able to score from virtually anywhere on the floor, whether it be behind the arc, a midrange pull-up jumper, and finishing around or above the rim. While Jones is oober-athletic, he doesn’t have the quickest first step off the dribble. This is an area that can be improved before he takes the court this winter
He handles the ball well for his size giving him the knack to score the ball however he wants. Jones is a guy who has the potential to start and make a huge impact the moment he steps foot on campus.
He is the fifth man of a 2018 class that already includes five-star signee, Ayo Dosunmu and fellow commits Alan Griffin, Samba Kane, and Giorgi Bezhanishvili. With a depleted wing core and plenty of minutes to go around after a roster that has gone through much turnover, there’s plenty of opportunities for Jones to shine in the Orange and Blue.
The potential for Jones is there. He comes in as one of the top players in the nation with all the right tools to take his game to the next level. He’s got NBA aspirations and a frame that might just take him there. Underwood and everyone else on staff will do their best to give Jones everything he needs to succeed in his basketball career. In the mean time, let’s all sit back and enjoy the show that could be Ayo, Trent, and Tevian.