Texas Basketball: Breaking down the 2019 recruiting class

Kai Jones – Wolfeboro, NH

C | 6-foot-10 | 205 lbs | No. 49 overall

The first of two extremely talented bigs in this recruiting class, Kai Jones is ranked just inside the top-50 of the class nationally. A superb athlete with a sky-high ceiling, Jones is tantalizing as a prospect. Although he definitely needs to add some bulk to his frame, Jones boasts plenty of height and athleticism to go along with a budding offensive game. For the time being, he is well-known as a big man who can run the floor tremendously well and finish above the rim on the offensive end of the floor.

Defensively, Jones uses his athleticism well to block shots and can switch onto smaller players as well to defend on the perimeter. Because of this defensive versatility, Jones is not confined to playing the center position at the college level. It would not be a major surprise to see him team up with one of Texas’ other bigs this season to build a mega-frontcourt. He could also be a superb fit alongside Will Baker, the other big man in this class, who is an incredible offensive weapon with some defensive deficiencies.

Even though Jones is not the most polished player in the 2019 class, he should still be able to play immediate minutes for the team. His ability to run the floor and finish above the rim should allow him to flourish in Texas’ system while he continues to develop his all-around game. As already mentioned, Jones’ ceiling is incredibly high and he could turn some heads early in his career with quick development.