2024 big man R.J. Jones continues strong high school season at City of Palms
2024 Gainesville (FL) The Rock School big man R.J. Jones has been impressive thus far to start the high school season. He has shined for his team in a number of high-profile scholastic tournaments, such as the Lighthouse Classic and the City of Palms.
That’s good news for Jones and The Rock’s basketball program, as the 6-foot-9 big man went through some hard times a few months ago with a torn meniscus. After some rest and rehab, it looks like things are full speed ahead for the junior.
“I’m feeling pretty good and getting back to myself now,” Jones told HoopSeen.com at the Lighthouse Classic last month.
Jones put together two strong performances in Corinth, Mississippi, headlined by his 21-point and 11-rebound effort against Fort Erie International Academy on Friday. The stout big man dominated the competition and made his case as one of the top big men in the country.
Jones and teammate Sammie Yeanay are continuing that trend this week at the City of Palms. The junior big men combined for 30 points and 17 rebounds in a win over New Jersey’s The Patrick School on Sunday.
Ranked No. 19 overall in the HoopSeen 2024 national rankings, Jones has done a nice job of backing things up this season. A handful of college programs have him high on their recruiting boards, including Louisville, who offered him earlier this month.
“Cleveland State, La Salle, Texas A&M, Florida, LSU, Samford, Illinois, Missouri, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, NC State, and Louisville have offered me a scholarship so far,” he explained. “Miami, Virginia, and Florida State are some of the schools showing interest.”
Todd Golden and the Florida Gators hosted Jones and a couple of teammates for an unofficial visit back in September. With The Rock School only a few miles from campus, the Gators are prioritizing the five-star big man.
“I’ve been to Florida before and seen the campus many times, but it was great to meet the new coaches and see how they run things. The coaches made me feel like I was one of them. I love how they’re recruiting people in their backyard before they go elsewhere,” Jones said.
Georgia Tech, LSU, Miami, and Virginia Tech are also aggressively pursuing Jones and making him a priority to this point. However, things are still early in his recruitment and more programs are expected to jump into the mix at some point.
Jones recently announced his intentions to play with Jonathan Isaac’s Team Judah Nation during the upcoming travel season. Both Isaac and Judah Nation have had positive experiences while playing on the HoopSeen platform.
Keep an eye on Jones as the high school season pushes into the New Year and the travel season gets kicked off.
