Bulls Get Commitment from JUCO Forward
USF went back to familiar territory to secure its second oral commitment, getting a verbal from 6-foot-10, 210-pound, Daytona Beach Community College power forward Solomon Jones on Wednesday.
According to new DBCC coach Brad Underwood, Jones announced his commitment this morning, choosing the Bulls over interest from Florida State, UCF, Georgia, Northeastern and George Mason.
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Jones, from Mount Dora, was recruited to DBCC and coached a year ago by current Bulls assistant Frank Burnell. And Jones’ former teammate, guard Bradley Mosley, is a junior at USF this season.
“Obviously, that familiarity played a big part in his decision,” said Underwood. “He went there last weekend and he liked everything he saw. They did a good job of convincing him that he can come in and play right away. He felt comfortable with the staff and I think he’s intrigued by (Conference USA).”
Jones also made unofficial visits to FSU and UCF. He had offers on the table from USF and UCF, but Underwood said South Florida and Florida State had been the most active in Jones’ recruitment.
The Bulls will be getting a player whose best days are in front of him, Underwood said. NBADraft.net lists Jones as the tenth best junior college small forward in the nation. He averaged 11.5 points and seven rebounds last season at DBCC and will be leaned on heavily this year to produce.
“We have nine freshman, so we’re going to put him in situations where he has to score for us. I’d be disappointed if he wasn’t a double-double guy, scoring in the 18 to 20-point range,” Underwood said.
“People tell me Solomon was 6-6 as a junior in high school, so he’s just growing into his body. He’s thin at 210, and he’s never going to be a kid that’s going to put on 40 pounds, but he’s getting a lot stronger and he has a 7-2 wingspan. He’s a tremendous defender and has a knack for blocking shots.”
Offensively, Underwood said Jones has range to 15 feet and a smooth jump hook that’s difficult to defend. He’s also active on the glass and a good passer.
“He’s a great kid. He wins every sprint and he can run all day. I couldn’t ask anything more of him. With strength and confidence, he’s going to be a really good college player at USF,” Underwood said.
USF already has one early commitment, high-scoring North Richland Hills, Texas guard Collin Dennis.
The early signing period opens Nov. 13.