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Illinois Basketball: Illini offers top 100 recruit for 2018

By Rees Woodcock

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 10: Basketballs are shown in a ball rack before a semifinal game of the Mountain West Conference basketball tournament between the Fresno State Bulldogs and the Nevada Wolf Pack at the Thomas
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 10: Basketballs are shown in a ball rack before a semifinal game of the Mountain West Conference basketball tournament between the Fresno State Bulldogs and the Nevada Wolf Pack at the Thomas /
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Just when you thought the options were dwindling for the Illinois basketball team in 2018, they come out with another scholarship offer.

The most recent scholarship offer extended by Brad Underwood and the Illini was to Tevian Jones. This was a surprising offer but a good one looking at what they need to fill for the class of 2018. He is a 6-foot-7, 190-pound guard-forward from Chandler High School in Chandler, Arizona. He is rated as a four-star recruit who is the No. 87 player in the class of 2018 and the No. 18 shooting guard in the nation.

As far as I can tell, Jones has four scholarship offers right now including Nevada, San Diego State and UNLV. He hasn’t taken any official visits yet. Getting a player like Jones would be nice for the Illinois program because he would fit in nicely at the No. 3 or No. 4 in 2018.

Jones’ AAU team, Cal Supreme Elite, played in the Nike EYBL this past season which is the best AAU league in the nation. Jones was a big contributor to the team averaging 19.2 minutes per game in 2017. In that time, he averaged 10.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1 block per game. Those are extremely impressive stats considering he is playing against some of the best competition in the nation.

There is a lot to love about Jones’ game. He is an impressive player for multiple reasons and the first reason that really pops out is his ability to glide around the floor. Jones moves with such grace and his ability to do that lulls defenders asleep and he gets by them for an easy bucket at the rim.

Jones has a great ability to not only get to the rim, but he can also shoot from the outside as well. He has a buttery stroke and it reminds me a lot of former Illinois basketball player, Malcolm Hill. The ability to shoot and get by defenders is huge on the basketball court. I also love his athletic ability as well.

Next: Top 4 class of 2019 targets for the Illini

The fact Jones can almost hit his head on the rim is impressive. He has hops that I haven’t seen in a while and that is needed with the Illini. This kid can do multiple things on the basketball court, and Underwood would love to have that type of player for 2018. He would be a perfect fit at the No. 3 and No. 4 spot for the Illini.

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