Lamont Jones to Play in Jordan Brand Classic

Virginia Tech basketball commit Lamont “Mo-Mo” Jones has been
selected to play in the Jordan Brand Classic in Madison Square Garden on April
18. This is a major tournament filled with some of the top players from around
the country. It will also give Tech fans a chance to watch Jones live on
national television.

The game will be played at 8pm on April 18, and it will be televised by
ESPN2. It features some of the top prospects in the nation.

Some of the top schools in the country are on that lists. Nine of Rivals.com’s
top 10 players will take part in this game, and 19 of the 20 players are
currently ranked amongst the Top 66 prospects in the country. Interestingly,
Jones is the only player who is not ranked in the Rivals Top 150.

That doesn’t mean Jones doesn’t have the credentials. Originally a Louisville
commitment, he selected Virginia Tech back in November, though he has yet to
sign a letter-of-intent. Jones chose the Hokies over a number of impressive
offers, including Cincinnati, Georgetown, USC, Memphis, Providence, Seton Hall,
St, John’s and Charlotte. According to Jones, his final three were Virginia
Tech, USC and Memphis.

Jones is a 5-11, 205-lbs point guard for Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson,
VA. He is originally a native of New York City, and he hit it off with Seth
Greenberg, who is also from New York. Jones starts at point guard for Oak Hill,
who is 32-0 and ranked #3 in the nation by USA Today.

Although Jones isn’t showing up as a highly-ranked player by Rivals, that
doesn’t mean he won’t be highly ranked at the end of the season. Respected
recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons released his latest Top 150 on February 10
(yesterday), and he ranks Jones as the #51 prospect in the nation.

Unfortunately, Virginia Tech fans are going to have to wait it out for two
more months. The spring signing period doesn’t begin until April 15. Until then,
other schools will be free to recruit Jones.

The biggest factor that could have an impact on Jones’ status is early
entrees for the NBA draft. When college players decide whether or not to leave
early, around the time of the Final Four, there are very few unsigned high
school prospects remaining on the board. If a big-time basketball school loses a
guard to the NBA, and they need someone to replace him, Lamont Jones is likely
to be a name at the top of their list. He is one of a select few high-caliber
guards who will still be available.

However, Oak Hill basketball coach Steve Smith told TSL’s Chris Horne that
Tech fans have nothing to fear.

“The only reason he didn’t sign [in November] was because his mother was
in New York,” Smith said. “She was adamant that she wanted to be there
with him when he signed, so he just verballed. Everybody is good with it. We
called Coach Greenberg to make sure he would take a verbal and he did. Mo-Mo is
not going to talk to any other coaches. There will be none of that. He told me
he gave his word to Coach Greenberg. The first day he can sign in the spring,
he’ll definitely sign.”

If Jones signs with the Hokies on April 15, then Hokie fans fan breathe easy
when they watch him play on ESPN2 on April 18.

Past players who took part in the Jordan Brand Classic include: Chris Paul,
Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Amar’e Stoudemire, Dwight Howard and Kevin
Durant. Some active college players who played in this event are Tyler
Hansbrough (UNC), Blake Griffin (Oklahoma), Kyle Singler (Duke), Tyreke Evans
(Memphis) and Demar DeRozan (USC).

Click on the link at the bottom of the page for a YouTube highlight video of
Jones in action.