Tag: Ryan Jones Jr

Florida one of two finalists for local 4-star power forward

The Florida Gators are one of two finalists for class of 2024 four-star power forward Ryan Jones Jr., who plays high school ball locally.

It’s down to the Florida Gators and Virginia Tech Hokies for four-star power forward [autotag]Ryan Jones Jr[/autotag]., according to 247Sports.

Jones is committing on Monday, Oct.2, at 7 p.m. on the 247Sports YouTube channel, and he’s expected to pick the Hokies despite playing high school ball at the Rock School in Gainesville.

Florida has done its best to convince Jones to stay in town. He took an official visit earlier this month and returned just last week to observe the first fall practice.

“The coaching staff when they came in I was their first offer and they just knew being in their backyard they wanted to recruit me because of who I am as a person and a player,” Jones said. “What they’ve done to this point, I’ve loved it. The official visit, it was cool being in my hometown for an official visit, and basketball-wise they fit as well.”

With just two days left before Jones makes his announcement, the On3 recruiting prediction machine gives Virginia Tech 93.9% odds to land him. Florida is a distant second on the list at 5.0% and NC State has less than a 1% chance to pull off the unthinkable.

Jones is a consensus four-star recruit, ranked highest by ESPN at No. 63 overall in the class of 2024. The On3 industry ranking, which uses a weighted average of all four major recruiting services, puts him at No. 66 overall and No. 9 among power forwards in the class.

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Florida cracks top 8 for 4-star power forward target

Four-star power forward Ryan Jones Jr. narrowed down his college options on Monday and the Florida Gators were included in his top eight.

The Florida Gators and The Rock School power forward [autotag]Ryan Jones[/autotag] have been connected for months now, so it’s not too surprising to see UF left standing among the eight teams remaining in Jones’ recruitment.

Jones narrowed his options down to Florida, Louisville, LSU, Miami, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech and Xavier. He has six official visits scheduled for the fall, including a Sept. 15 trip to UF. Lousiville and Oklahoma State are the two programs that don’t have something lined up with him, but that could change soon.

The new coaching staff at Florida has had a big impact on Jones, according to On3.

“Ever since the old coach left and the new coaching staff arrived and I came on campus, every time I visited I became comfortable every time,” he said. “Just the way they bring me in like I was a part of the team really impacted my view on them.”

The way Florida head coach Todd Golden uses his forwards is another contributing factor to Jones’ interest in the Gators.

Jones is a consensus four-star recruit, ranked highest by ESPN at No. 57 overall in the class of 2024. The on3 industry ranking, which uses a weighted composite, puts him at No. 65 nationally and No. 8 among power forwards in the class. He’s also the 12th-best recruit from the state of Florida.

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Top-100 PF looking to take an official visit to Florida

Four-star power forward Ryan Jones Jr. is no stranger to the nearby University of Florida, and now he has a date set for an official visit with the Gators.

The Florida Gators men’s basketball program already has two players committed in the recruiting class of 2024, but Todd Golden and Co. aren’t slowing down on the recruiting trail just yet.

There is a four-star power forward that plays nearby at The Rock School in Gainesville, Florida — [autotag]Ryan Jones Jr[/autotag]. — and he now has an official visit set up with the local program, according to Gators Online. Florida will host him over the weekend of Sept. 15, which is a good recruiting weekend with the football hosting Tennessee.

Of course, Jones expects to return to the Swamp before September. His high school 10 minutes away and he’s been by plenty of times over the past few months, according to 247Sports. He could be back on campus as soon as Thursday, per the report.

Jones would be a big pickup for Florida, which already has four-star center John Bol (No. 28 nationally) and Isaiah Brown (No. 121) under commitment. Jones comes in at No. 68 on the On3 industry ranking, which uses a weighted average from all four major recruiting services.

ESPN is the highest on Jones, ranking him the 45th-best player in the class. On3 is the least impressed at No. 124 nationally and No. 26 among power forwards.

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