UNC Basketball Recruiting: Tyus Jones Will be a Tough Get

North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams recently offered the top point guard in the 2014 class Tyus Jones. I’ve debated whether or not Carolina even needed a PG in the 14 class at all given the fact that they have already secured incoming freshman Marcus Paige and 2013 five star PG Nate Britt.

Roy has said many times that he would like to get a PG in every single class. Historically he’s alternated years between getting a true point guard every other while grabbing a dual guard in between. In case you weren’t watching or you were stuck under a rock, depth at the PG position cost Carolina a chance at the national championship in 2011. With star Kendall Marshall out with a broken wrist and his backup already out with a torn ACL, UNC turned to walk on freshman Stillman White to lead them.

White played pretty well and did an admirable job trying to do the impossible, replace Marshall. UNC was caught with zero PG depth and it paid the biggest price possible for it. In 2012 the team will face a similar situation with Dexter Strickland coming back from that ACL injury to be Paige’s top backup who will be playing the role of Marshall this upcoming season. The team will also have Garner Webb transfer Luke Davis playing the role of White.

But Roy knows that’s not enough and he’s right. The team has no choice but to hope and pray that nothing happens to Paige this season. In 2013 Britt arrives in Chapel Hill and the team will be oozing with depth at the position. But what happens in 2014 is anybody’s guess.

That question will be answered by Paige’s development, Marshall left after two years which surprised Roy. Ideally, Williams would like to line up the top PG in the 2014 class to come in and battle it out with Britt for the starting spot if Paige in fact does turn pro after two years.

But that’s no guarantee either, in fact, it’s very likely that Paige, an accomplished scorer will not be ready for the draft after his sophomore season. In that case, Roy would likely employ a system with heavy doses of both his PGs on the floor at the same time. Joining a roster that already had two star quality players at their position isn’t something that would help entice the best PG in any class. And it won’t help with Tyus Jones either.

The timing would have to be perfect for a Jones to Carolina union to work. Carolina needs for Jones to wait on his decision rather than committing early since they would have no chance at an early engagement. At the same time it needs Paige to declare for the NBA Draft right after the season ends, giving Williams time to push even harder for Jones’ services in Chapel Hill.

Jones is a natural floor leader who can do it all on the floor. He’s a teammates dream because he makes the players around him better. He’s going to take his time and let the top programs in the nation battle it out for his services. I’m just not sure UNC will have adequate time to convince him Carolina is the place to be with so much uncertainty about who will be competing at the position until so late in the game.

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Do you think UNC can convince Jones to come to Chapel Hill?

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