Texas will host top PG target for UNC game, JUCO wing on Monday
While this Saturday's game at home against No. 3 North Carolina could play a pivotal role in defining the 2015-16 Texas basketball team, it could also play that significant of a role for future Texas teams. Big-time games usually attract big-time visitors, and Irving MacArthur point guard Andrew Jones fits that description. A preview of a crucial weekend for Texas basketball recruiting:
THE VISITORS
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Position - Point guard
Rivals.com national overall ranking - 38th
Size - 6-4, 180 pounds
School - Irving MacArthur (Irving)
AAU team - Pro Skills Elite (Nike circuit)
Twitter - @AxJ_10
The skinny - By now those who follow hoops recruiting know who Jones is. But that wasn't always the case. Once upon a time the now No. 38 prospect overall - a ranking that will likely improve, and maybe turn into five-star status - was an under-the-radar guard that was attracting little attention at the beginning of the 2015 AAU circuit. As he continued to compete on the Nike EYBL circuit, his skill and play-making ability kept progressing rapidly until the 6-4 (maybe 6-5) prospect eventually turned so many heads on a consistent basis that it was clear he was one of the best guards in the country.
The exclamation point came with a 30-point performance against De'Aaron Fox and the Houston Hoops at AAU hoops' biggest event, the Peach Jam, and the offers poured in. However, Jones' abilities on the floor continue to improve, and he put on a show recently at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest in Duncanville in games against top 2017 guard Trae Young and Norman North (37 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and two steals) and Fox and Cypress Lakes (29 points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals). Jones' rise and progress is probably unmatched in the 2016 class.
After fielding offers and first narrowing a list to seven in August, Jones is now down to just five schools - Texas, Baylor, SMU, Arizona, and Louisville. He's visited them all unofficially, and has taken official visits to Arizona (September) and Louisville (October).
This weekend, Texas rolls out the red carpet for its top priority at guard, and when he makes it to the UT campus, it will be his fourth time stop in Austin. Jones visited a little over a month after Shaka Smart was hired, again in August when he visited five schools in seven days, again during Texas basketball's alumni weekend and Texas' football game against Oklahoma State at home in September, and now for the official visit this weekend.
From what we've heard, the Longhorns have steadily improved their position in this recruitment over the last couple of months, and have emerged as one of the top players for Jones' services, and maybe the top player.
Recently, the four-star guard told Rivals.com's Eric Bossi that his recruitment could have an end in sight.
"I haven't really discussed it yet with my dad when I'll decide," Jones said. "He still wants me to watch some games to be sure I'm making a good decision but it could maybe be as soon as late December."
If that turns true and Texas puts on a show this weekend, it's likely that Texas becomes the team to beat. Jones will arrive Saturday (Irving MacArthur plays Friday night against Lincoln in the Chris Bosh Hoopfest) and will be accompanied by his family.
Prospect breakdown - The most noticeable area of Jones' improvement is probably his poise and confidence on the floor. Each time we've seen the four-star guard, he seems more comfortable in what he's doing on the hardwood. Jones plays with a lot of energy and doesn't shy away from big moments. When going head-to-head against Fox at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest, Jones immediately announced his presence on one of the game's first possessions by drilling a three from deep beyond the arc, and then did his signature three-point celebratory gesture on the way back down the floor.
With the ball in his hands, Jones is dynamite coming off of screens and a true threat in the pick-and-roll because of his ability to get to the rim with explosiveness and size and his instinctive feel for distributing the basketball to open teammates. Add in that his mid-range jumper is improving and he's consistently showed improved range from deep, and you have an elite guard that's a nightmare to defend. He's become basically impossible to press because of his quickness, speed, handle, and ability to lure defense into the position he wants it to go to. Although he's labeled often as a combo guard, make no mistake about it, Jones has legitimate point guard feel on the floor and will run the one at the next level.
Defensively, Jones' length and athleticism allow him to frustrate ball-handlers, and he's shown some solid ability off-the-ball when it comes to aggressively challenging shots at the rim. He's a prime candidate to fit a pressing style because of his instincts, energy, length, and quickness.
When the McDonald's All-American Game roster is announced, Jones has a shot to be on it.
OB in-person look - EYBL session three in Houston (two games); Great American Shootout (one game); Las Vegas Fab 48 (two games); Thanksgiving Hoopfest (one game)
Position - Wing
Rivals.com national overall ranking - JUCO
Size - 6-7, 215
School - Hutchinson Community College; John F. Kennedy High School (Bronx, New York)
The Skinny - A sophomore for the No. 1 NCJAA team in the country, Ahmed was a very lightly recruited wing out of the Bronx, New York in 2014. Since he arrived at Hutchinson Community College, Ahmed has emerged into one of the more coveted JUCO prospects in the country.
Recently in mid-November, SNY.tv and JUCOrecruiting.com reported that Ahmed is listing Cincinnati, St. John's, Oklahoma State, Texas, Oregon, and Texas A&M. Hutchinson C.C. head coach Steve Eck said earlier this week that Ahmed has "narrowed it down to 10-15 [teams]," but didn't specify which, and described his wing as being "wide open." However, most believe, right now, that hometown St. John's is the team to beat. According to reports, Ahmed has visited St. John's and Cincinnati officially.
Look for Ahmed to likely make a decision this month. He'll arrive at Texas Monday to begin his visit, per a source.
Prospect Breakdown - Listed at 6-7, 215, Ahmed has the size and length to defend multiple positions - Eck told Orangebloods.com he sometimes puts Ahmed on the opposing team's point guard - and provide scoring punch at all three levels. This season Ahmed is averaging a team-high 18.9 points per game (45.2 percent from the floor; 38.9 percent from three; 79.2 percent from the free throw line), 7.1 rebounds per game, and 2.2 assists per game. He'd be an instant contributor at any program he's considering, and could be the No. 1 JUCO prospect in the country.
THE POSSIBLE EFFECT
Again, if Texas rolls out the red carpet this weekend and impresses Jones and his family both with its play on the hardwood and with the atmosphere surrounding the game, there's a real chance that the Longhorns emerge from this weekend as the team to beat for one of the top unsigned players in the country. Ahmed's recruitment is a little tougher to figure out this point as Texas turned up the heat a little while back, and he hasn't spoken much about it publicly. But the Longhorns have immediate playing time and style to sell the wing, who could play a number of spots at Texas.