Recruit Profile: Jamal Jones

According to Brad Winton fromJucoRecruiting.com, Gonzaga has shown interest in former Ole Miss Forward, Jamal Jones. Jamal hails from Searcy, Arkansas and committed to Ole Miss out of the class of 2011. He would go on to see limited action in 5 games averaging 1.8 Points and 1.2 Boards a game. Jones was dismissed from Ole Miss back in January for a violation of team rules, he then enrolled at Lee College for the upcoming season with the hopes of reviving his D1 Prospects. After an impressive Juco Showcase Tourney in July, he has received interest from Gonzaga, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.



Brad Winton went on to sum up Jamal as:

"He is a smooth and ultra athletic 6-8 wing who can get to the rim and shoot the ball consistently from beyond the three point line."

 TeamArkansasBBall.com had this to say:

"Was a 6'1 point guard as a ninth grader. He shot up to 6'7 and has point guard skills with height and a great vertical leap. Jones can leap to 11 feet standing still, Summers said and is projected by doctors to reach 6'11."

 He is heading into his sophomore year of eligibility and while he still has time to grow, he is only 6-8. He is scrawny, very lanky, lacks the strength necessary to play down low. I question whether he should be considered a low post player at all, with his passing and shooting skills he reminds me more of a Lamar Odom type. The biggest question mark is his character. As previously stated he was dismissed from Ole Miss due to violating team rules, more specifically he was dismissed because he was in his teammates apartment smoking weed. Is that the type of player you want to bring into the Zags program? I'm sure the coaching staff will do their due diligence and make sure this kid is not a recurring drug abuser before they bring him into the fold. He certainly seems talented enough to play WCC basketball, time will tell if this is just cursory interest or if the staff intends on bringing him in for an official visit. We will keep you posted as we learn more. As always, GO ZAGS!