PicoBlog

“Kim really believes he can bring five star guys here.”

That’s what I was told during a visit to Providence’s campus about a month after Kim English was hired to replace Ed Cooley — at a time when so many were questioning what was ahead in Friartown.

From outside of the program the departure of Cooley brought about questions regarding the future of Friar basketball. The national narratives were filled with talk of ceilings and NIL challenges for such a small school, but internally there was confidence that something substantial was established in Providence, and the Friars were built to last with their new head coach at the helm.

This spring, nothing got in the way of Providence quickly filling all four of its positional needs via the transfer portal, while an even louder statement could be on the way with the recruiting class of 2025.

Not since the commitments of Kris Dunn and Ricky Ledo in 2011 has Providence landed a high school commitment ranked inside the top 30 in any national service. With Oswin Erhunmwunse, and now Jamier Jones, English has two locked up already.

Jones announced his commitment to Providence via Instagram Live with On3.com’s Joe Tipton on Sunday afternoon. The athletically gifted small forward is ranked 16th by ESPN, 24th on Rivals, 27th on On3.com, and 32nd in the class of 2025 by 247 Sports.

That English and his staff were able to land a Florida native who has played at the highest levels of high school and grassroots basketball is quite the statement.

Ledo, who was ranked as high as the number six player in the class of 2012 by Rivals.com, hailed from Providence and committed to PC under two different coaching staffs, while Dunn was a McDonald’s All American who grew up an hour from Providence’s campus.

Both were incredible gets, but Jones will head north from Florida with no ties to the area — just a bunch of faith in English’s plan and an appreciation for the consistency with which the Providence staff pursued him.

This isn’t a recruit who went under-the-radar and stuck with the Friar staff out of loyalty after his stock exploded. As a sophomore at IMG Academy he went up against the best teams in the country, and played on ESPN more than once:

Jones is among the best athletes in all of college basketball — a former football player who had significant upside as a wide receiver. He is an explosive leaper and runner in the open court with the potential to turn into a very good defensive player down the line with experience. Jones’ elite athleticism and measurables (6’6, 200 pounds) headline any talk of him, but he also has passing ability that will benefit him in college. He doesn’t just get downhill, but does so with a purpose.

After a terrific junior season in which his Oak Ridge team fell in the state championship, Jones is off to a fast start with the Florida Rebels on the Nike EYBL circuit. He is averaging 18.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game through the first two EYBL sessions. He is shooting 64% from the field. Jones’ high mark in EYBL action through six games came when he went off for 28 points against the Indy Heat.

The Rebels are 4-2 through six EYBL games, and 11-2 overall. They started the spring 11-0, including impressive wins over George Hill All Indy (91-56 versus the program that produced Garwey Dual) and The Family out of Michigan (91-74), prior to EYBL play kicking off. They return to EYBL action this weekend in Indianapolis, head to Kansas City the following weekend, and will look to qualify for the Peach Jam title in Georgia in July.

As noted here last week, Jones is an outstanding athlete coming off of a strong year at one of the top high school teams in the country in Oak Ridge (Orlando, FL). The Pioneers reached the state championship game in the highest classification in Florida this past season, wrapping up the year as MaxPreps’ #7 team in America, with Jones leading them in scoring. Their state championship loss came in overtime to MaxPreps’ second ranked team nationally in Columbus, a program featuring five star prospects Cameron Boozer (#2 in 2025 per 247 Sports) and Cayden Boozer (#16 in 2025). Oak Ridge trailed by 11 at halftime against Columbus, before forcing overtime.

Oak Ridge played a challenging schedule this season, highlighted by games against Brewster Academy, Montverde Academy, DeMatha Catholic, and Christ the King. Jones led the Pioneers to the Iolani Classic title in Hawaii, leading them in scoring in victories over longtime powerhouses DeMatha (21 points on 9-15 shooting) and Christ the King (20 points on 8-13 shooting).

Jones shot 9-17 (52%) from three in the handful of games that Synergy Sports tracked of Oak Ridge this past season. From inside the arc he was 36-50 (72%).

With his commitment on Sunday, Jones became just the second player in On3.com’s top 30 for the class of 2025 to have ended his recruitment. The Providence staff will look to strike again in the class of 2025 later this month, when Massachusetts scoring wing Jaylen Harrell announces his college decision.

Harrell and Jones would complement one another on the floor, with Jones as the powerful downhill slasher and Harrell bringing shot-making ability with a physical frame. Harrell, whose Expressions Elite team is one of the few unbeaten EYBL squads remaining (6-0) is ranked #67 in the class by On3.com. Harrell has put on a sizzling shooting exhibition in early EYBL play, making 61% of his shots overall and 21-40 from three.

English and his staff very well could build one of the best classes in the Big East in 2025, and with each passing win on the recruiting trail the questions about the future of the program that existed a year ago grow more and more distant.

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