Texas Basketball Recruiting: Early look at 2019 class pre-signing period

The comparisons between the four-star Wolfeboro, NH, and Brewster Academy big man Kai Jones and current Indiana Pacers standout center Myles Turner have already begun, and with good reason. There are legit similarities between the potential that Jones brings to the table and how Turner developed once his disappointing time with the Texas basketball program and former head coach Rick Barnes was up.

Turner is starting to become a solid shooter from mid-range and beyond the arc. He needs to find more consistency in his outside shooting, but he’s made a ton of progress in that area of his game over the past two or three seasons. Jones also showed some of the same intentions since signing with the Longhorns of improving his range.

The ceiling that Jones could have under head Texas basketball coach Shaka Smart with the way bigs are developing in Austin lately is off the charts. If the ability to space the floor starts to shine through soon, Jones could become one of the most lethal young bigs Texas has seen in recent years. He has more versatility than another big like Jaxson Hayes or Jarrett Allen.

Jones ranks slightly higher than Williams in terms of the 247Sports composite ranking. He slots in as the nation’s No. 53 2019 high school prospect and the No. 14 power forward. He wound up choosing the Longhorns over other top schools like the Florida State Seminoles, Syracuse Orange, and Arizona Wildcats.