The Gators’ roster sprung several leaks after they were eliminated form the NCAA tournament, leaving head coach Mike White with the difficult task of restocking a team with only one incoming recruit. He’s taken to the transfer portal with gusto, swiftly landing commitments from three players. The most recent of that trio is former Penn State Nittany Lions guard Myreon Jones.
The 2020-2021 season was kind to Jones, who finished as the leading scorer on Penn State’s roster. He’s spent his entire collegiate career playing against mid-major competition in the B1G, but he has nothing left to prove there. He averaged double-digit scoring in both of his previous two seasons and is a serious threat from beyond the arc.
Entering his senior season with a shot of a prominent role in White’s preferred three-guard lineup, Jones is a good fit for nearly any scheme. He’s proficient as a pick and roll ball handler, while shooting spot ups or off screens, and as a cutter. That makes him an especially attractive player for Gators fans, who have often bemoaned White’s struggles to identify players who fit into a coherent scheme.
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The biggest concern about bringing Jones to Florida is his size. The Gators’ backcourt is already pretty small, with likely starting point and shooting guards Tyree Appleby and Brandon McKissic both clocking in under Jones’ listed 6-foot-3-inch height. That could pose a problem in on-ball situations, especially if the defensively talented Niels Lane or bigger-bodies Kowacie Reeves, Jr. can’t shoot enough to earn regular playing time.
Nevertheless, Jones is a talented scorer and has two years of eligibility remaining, and assuming everything goes to plan, he should see a lot of playing time next season. He’s a good fit for this Gators team who lost a lot of scoring talent when Tre Mann filed for the draft with very little coming down the pipe when it comes to high school recruits. He’ll also serve as a cushion in the depth chart to prevent Lane or Reeves from being overexposed to SEC competition if they need to simmer on the bench for a little while longer.
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