NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing top schools for Carlik Jones
Radford Highlanders
Why should Carlik Jones stay in the Big South Conference with the Radford Highlanders? Finish where you started. Radford was Jones’s only offer coming out of Aiken High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. As a member of the Aiken Falcons, he was a two-time Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference and Cincinnati Enquirer Division IV Player of the Year and 2016 First Team All-SW Ohio District selection. He averaged 22.3 points and six assists during his senior season that included a regional title and state semifinal appearance.
When he arrived at Radford, he won awards, big games, and respect.
After redshirting the 2016-17 season, he went on to become Big South Freshman of the Year, an All-Big South Honorable Mention and a member of the Big South All-Freshman team. He averaged 11.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and was named Big South Freshman of the Week seven times. His buzzer-beating three propelled the Highlanders to victory and they became Big South champions in the 55-52 win over the Liberty Flames.
He recorded 13 points, six assists, and five rebounds. He led the Highlanders to their first-ever NCAA Tournament win over the LIU-Brooklyn Sharks, 71-61. He was three rebounds shy of a triple-double (12 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds).
Jones wants to win on a bigger stage in a power five conference. It’s completely understandable. He has had so much success with the Radford Highlanders and is ready to see what else he can do. He has a bunch of heavy hitters on this list and he would make any one of these teams better. He had a tremendous run at Radford. Should he choose to leave, they will remember him for all of his hard work and the big plays he made as a part of that program.
Gonzaga Bulldogs
When you think of Gonzaga, you think of Mark Few. A winning coach who knows how to get the best out of his players. He has had great success with transfers in the past: Admon Gilder, Ryan Woolridge, Eric McClellan, Jordan Matthews, Jonathan Williams III, Nigel Williams-Goss and Brandon Clarke just to name a few. Jones could be a part of that list.
Gonzaga dominated the WCC with a record of 31-2 overall and a 15-2 record in league play. Six players averaged double figures in points including Filip Petrusev, Killian Tillie and Gilder. Gilder, Tillie, and Woolridge won’t be on the roster next season and the Bulldogs will have a deep rotation at the guard spot if Jones chooses Gonzaga. Not to forget, they’ll have blue-chip recruits Julian Strawther, Dominick Harris, and Jalen Suggs coming on board. Gonzaga will be loaded. They currently have the ninth-best 2020 recruiting class nationally and the best class in the WCC.
Who knows? He might be the piece they need to get over the hump and win a national championship.