Providence basketball got some good news on Sunday, with highly rated small forward Jamier Jones announcing that he has committed to the Friars program.
The 6-foot-6 talent out of Oak Ridge (Fla.) chose the Big East school over a top-tier group of possibilities that included Kansas, Ohio State, LSU, South Carolina, and Houston.
Why Providence?
While the current tendency is to look toward the monetary deals available in the NIL space, Jones’ reasoning aligned with the more classic tales from the recruiting trail.
“The loyalty of coach English and the coaching staff. I wouldn’t want to trust any other coaching staff to get me to where I want to be which is the NBA. Everything those guys have been telling me sounds great and I’m just ready to work hard and do what I do to reach my goal!”
5⭐️ Jamier Jones (no. 16 ESPN 💯) has committed to Providence!@_thejamierjones | @PCFriarsmbb pic.twitter.com/oZo0zzoMKQ
— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) May 12, 2024
It’s a big recruiting win for head coach Kim English and the team, which was left out of the 2024 NCAA Tournament and helps rebuild a roster that lost Big East Player of the Year Devin Carter, who declared for the 2024 NBA draft.
And the Friars might have more good news at the end of the month, with Jaylen Harrell, a four-star recruit and Gatorade Player of the Year in Massachusetts, set to announce his decision on May 27 — from a list that includes Providence.
NEWS: 2025 four-star wing Jaylen Harrell will announce his college decision on May 27th, he tells @On3Recruits.
The 6-6 junior has scheduled an official visit for later this month and is working on another: https://t.co/eyFce17PHh pic.twitter.com/VdsU1GSOVI
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) May 8, 2024