No.24 ranked player commits to UNT

[ponyscott]

Garland Lakeview Centennial 6'2 Point Guard Chris Jones commits to UNT...He was District 1-5A MVP and All State and averaged 21.1 points a game. Offers from TCU, Creighton ( our friend Lutz liked him while at SMU) and Colorado among others.
UNT is picking up a pretty good class it appears....


12:10 AM CDT on Sunday, October 10, 2010
By Brett Vito / Staff Writer
Chris Jones felt like there was something special taking place at North Texas over the last few weeks.

The Garland Lakeview Centennial point guard saw Jordan Williams and Trey Norris commit to play for the Mean Green, which has been to the NCAA Tournament in two of the last four seasons.

Jones joined them Saturday, when he committed to play for UNT. Oral commitments are non-binding. The early signing period begins on Nov. 10.

“I’m really cool with Jordan and Trey,” Jones said. “I haven’t played with them, but I know them.”

Jones said he chose UNT over offers from a dozen schools, including Colorado, Creighton, TCU and Arkansas-Little Rock.

The 6-2 combo guard is ranked No. 24 on Texashoops.com’s rankings of Texas players in the Class of 2011.

Williams is ranked seventh, while Norris is ranked 70th.

UNT also has a commitment from Brandan Walton, a combo guard from Casper, Wyo., Community College.

Jones averaged 21.1 points a game last season, when he was named the MVP of District 10-5A. He was also named all-state by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.

Jones said he felt like UNT’s coaches made him a priority in recruiting. He was recruited by UNT assistant coach Shawn Forrest.

“I like the coaching staff at North Texas,” Jones said. “They came and saw me every chance they got. They came to practice. That made a big difference to me.”

That dedication was one of the reasons Jones decided to end the recruiting process before his senior season.

“I didn’t want to wait too long,” Jones said. “I wanted to make sure I had my scholarship.”

Jones, who will come in on an unofficial visit to UNT next weekend, will be part of a recruiting class that is quickly filling up with some of the best players in the Dallas area. Williams was a TABC Class 4A all-state selection as a junior last season, when he played for The Colony. He will play his senior season at Kimball.

Norris was an All-District 7-5A selection last season at South Grand Prairie.

UNT recruited by Jones and Norris as point guards, although Jones is capable of playing off the ball.

The Mean Green has used played two point guards in its backcourt at the same time at times in the last few seasons when Josh White and Dominique Johnson have been mainstays.

“They recruited me as a point guard,” Jones said. “We think we can play in the same backcourt.”

[PonyDoh]

I like Jones a lot. Good pull by UNT

[TheTastyGreek]

I like Jones a lot. Good pull by UNT

Hoping to land a midyear transfer (or two) from the Big 12. If we can get a solid HS post player (frustrated to have lost out on Devonta Abron), this should be a phenomenal class and allow JJ to keep building the program with a reload rather than a rebuild.

[CalallenStang]

Good for UNT. Gotta wonder if he would have come to SMU if Lutz were still here.

[smupony94]

really [deleted] them off and hire their coach away

[SMU 86]

UNT beat us on that one. Looks like they are putting together a good recruiting class.

[davidpaul123]

really [deleted] them off and hire their coach away

you gotta figure it would be in the realm of possibility if things dont go well this year...

[TheTastyGreek]

really [deleted] them off and hire their coach away

you gotta figure it would be in the realm of possibility if things dont go well this year...

Not looking to start an argument about it... But if this article is correct, you'd probably have to almost double what you're paying Doherty to get him to even think about it.

JJ turned down an interview with Auburn last year (not the first time he's turned down a BCS interview) and they paid their former coach $800k in base salary alone.

The book on him is that he's interested in being near a beach, coaching a worthwhile BCS conference team, or going home to LSU. He hasn't pursued or responded to interest from anything else.

If he gets North Texas to a 5th straight 20 win season and another NCAA bid, he'll either land his dream job or cash in on a nice raise (probably a bump from the low $300s to somewhere near half a million) and bide his time for the LSU job to open up. Unless it's just crazy, $1 million+ money, I don't think he'd ever consider leaving for a non-BCS rebuilding project unless LSU fires Trent Johnson and hires someone else. Especially not to go across town and abandon the team he's put together for himself.

[smupony94]

really [deleted] them off and hire their coach away

you gotta figure it would be in the realm of possibility if things dont go well this year...

Not looking to start an argument about it... But if this article is correct, you'd probably have to almost double what you're paying Doherty to get him to even think about it.

JJ turned down an interview with Auburn last year (not the first time he's turned down a BCS interview) and they paid their former coach $800k in base salary alone.

The book on him is that he's interested in being near a beach, coaching a worthwhile BCS conference team, or going home to LSU. He hasn't pursued or responded to interest from anything else.

If he gets North Texas to a 5th straight 20 win season and another NCAA bid, he'll either land his dream job or cash in on a nice raise (probably a bump from the low $300s to somewhere near half a million) and bide his time for the LSU job to open up. Unless it's just crazy, $1 million+ money, I don't think he'd ever consider leaving for a non-BCS rebuilding project unless LSU fires Trent Johnson and hires someone else. Especially not to go across town and abandon the team he's put together for himself.

I heard he is going to start the basketball program at UNT-Dallas

The mere mention of that school riles up my North Texas friend