Auburn strikes early with Jared Jones
Finding and landing talent has not been much of an issue for Bruce Pearl during his tenure at Tennessee and it sure hasn’t been much of an issue at Auburn. While the program is just beginning to reach some success on the hardwood, the recruiting trail has been good to the SEC gang and today, it got that much better. Jared Jones, a 6-foot-8 power forward from the 2019 class, gave his verbal commitment to the program that chants ‘War Eagle’.
Already sitting with the best class within the 2017 class and having raided the Peach State for a top-50 junior forward coming in the form of skilled big man EJ Montgomery, Auburn came up again with a solid swoop out of the state. Jones, a 6-foot-8 power forward that looks the part and is beginning to round out his game and produce accordingly, is a tremendous start for the SEC squad.
Transferring into Pebblebrook High School this fall, the same program that graduated now freshman guard Jared Harper, Jones should cause even further momentum for the staff at Auburn. Sporting a solid physique that should develop that much further in the coming years, the freshman power forward is a fine high post asset. He can knock down the mid-range jumper and has a good feel for the game out of a frontcourt position where he can make the proper pass facing the basket. Finishing in the lane is the next step for Jones, though he has good hands and instincts on both sides of the glass.
The son of a former Florida State football star, Jones becomes the first commitment from the 2019 class for Bruce Pearl’s bunch. Auburn now holds at least one commitment from the three upcoming graduating classes as it seems that the Tigers have some of the best momentum going on the recruiting trail in all of America.