6-foot-7-inch small forward from Pennsylvania is ranked the 27th-best player in the class of 2015 by ESPN
WATCH: Jones Wins American Family Insurance High School Slam Dunk Championship
The UNLV men’s basketball program received a signed national letter of intent from Derrick Jones on Thursday, head coach Dave Rice has announced. Jones plans to enroll at UNLV this summer.
A 6-foot-7-inch, 190-pound small forward, Jones, who will be a freshman this fall, is coming to UNLV from Archbishop John Carroll High School in Radnor, Pa.
During his high school career, Jones scored 1,645 points, collected 1,029 rebounds and blocked 268 shots. He was named the Southeastern Pennsylvania Player of the Year, the Delaware County Player of the Year, was the PIAA Triple-A Player of the Year and was selected First-Team All-Catholic League. He leaves Archbishop Carroll as the highest scorer in school history.
“We are excited that Derrick is a Runnin’ Rebel,” Rice said. “He is an explosive offensive player and will develop into a lockdown defender. He brings a winning attitude and is a fantastic teammate.”
Jones averaged 18.2 points per game as a senior and in the semifinals of the state tournament scored 30 points, grabbed 18 rebounds and blocked five shots.
Under coach Paul Romanczuk, Archbishop Carroll went 23-7 overall this season, including a 12-3 mark in conference play. The Patriots finished the year ranked No. 3 in the state and No. 33 in the nation.
ESPN has Jones ranked as the 27th-best player in the class of 2015. ESPN also lists him as the third-best player at his position in his class, No. 6 in his region and No. 1 in the state of Pennsylvania. In addition, “The Worldwide Leader” recently named him the Best Dunker in the country in the class of 2015. He also claimed the dunk contest title at the American Family Insurance High School Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championship in Carmel, Ind., on April 1.
Jones joins Jalen Poyser, a 6-foot-4-inch point guard from Toronto, Canada, who will also be a freshman this fall, as part of UNLV’s 2015 recruiting class. Poyser is the No. 1-ranked player in Canada in the class of 2015.
In addition to the young core of returning players from the 2014-15 season, the Runnin’ Rebels are looking forward to redshirts Ben Carter, a 6-8 junior forward from Las Vegas (transfer from Oregon), and Jerome Seagears, a 6-1 senior point guard from Silver Spring, Md. (transfer from Rutgers), eligible to play in 2015-16.
