Duke’s long-standing reputation of deadly 3-point shooting will not end anytime soon.
The Blue Devils added another sharpshooter and their first commitment in the class of 2013 last Tuesday when Matt Jones—a 6-foot-4, 180-pound shooting guard—verbally committed to Duke over North Carolina, Arizona, Baylor, Texas and Kansas, among others.
“I am so excited,” Jones said. “I’m still in shock a little bit.”
Due to Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s obligations with the United States national team in the 2012 Summer Olympics, it was crucial for Duke to land an early commitment to get the ball rolling for its 2013 class.
Krzyzewski first saw Jones at the Lebron James camp this summer and a strong performance in Ohio attracted the Blue Devil staff to Jones. Jones also had a chance to meet Duke commit Rasheed Sulaimon at the camp and the two Texas natives have since become good friends. Jones visited Durham for Countdown to Craziness in October with Sulaimon. A fellow Texan himself, Sulaimon had been personally recruiting Jones to Duke for a while.
“I have definitely been in [Jones’] ear about the possibility of us joining forces in the future and having that Texas connection in Durham,” Sulaimon said in an interview with The Chronicle in early November.
The Blue Devil staff continued to evaluate Jones after the camp, and after a strong showing on the AAU circuit with his team—the Texas Titans—the five-star shooting guard picked up a scholarship offer. Jones was the first guard in the class of 2013 to receive a scholarship offer from the Blue Devils. Since the offer, Duke was always considered to be the leader for Jones.
“I think Duke behind the scenes has always been in really good shape [with Jones],” ESPNU’s senior basketball recruiting analyst Dave Telep said.
Jones visited North Carolina and Kansas, but ultimately decided he was ready to end the recruiting process early.
“I really respect [Krzyzewski] as a person, leader and coach,” Jones said. “At the end of the day, I saw the coaching staff helping me become better on and off the court and I felt myself fitting in the program.”
Ranked 21st overall in the class of 2013 according to ESPNU, Jones has a high basketball IQ, an ability to create for himself and a lethal stroke from three-point range. The five-star guard should thrive the Blue Devil’s perimeter orientated offensive attack. With Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins graduating in the spring of 2013 and the expected loss of Austin Rivers to the NBA, the addition of Jones will ensure that there is no lack of backcourt firepower in future years.
“It’s almost like [Duke has] established a role for guys like [Jones],” Telep said. “I see Jones being the replacement for Andre Dawkins.”
Jones’ early pledge not only gives the Blue Devils’ one of the best shooters in the class of 2013, but will also help Duke’s recruitment of Julius Randle—the No.2-ranked player in 2013-—who is Jones’ close friend and AAU teammate.
“We are really close, we are close as you can be. We go back since 4th or 5th grade,” Jones said. “In my opinion, I think Duke has a really good chance of getting [Randle]. That’s just my opinion, but at the same time he is still wide open.”
Randle—a 6-foot-9 power forward—possesses a rare combination of athleticism, skill and power that has every elite college basketball program salivating. The versatile lefty from Dallas, Texas is being heavily pursued by North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, Texas and Baylor, among many others.
“I think Julius will wind up making his own decision, but we would be naïve to think that [Jones] isn’t a positive [for Duke’s recruitment of Randle],” Telep said. “I don’t think it’s a game-ender, but I think [Jones] certainly helps.”
With two Texans already on board, Sulaimon and Jones will do whatever they can to give Duke its third commit from the state. And if Jones and Sulaimon can lure the uber-talented Randle to Durham, the Texas trio could be the connection Duke needs for a future national championship.
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