Nittany Lions add do-it-all guard to '18 class

Penn State began its Class of 2018 recruiting cycle with a July 2016 verbal commitment from guard Myles Dread.

Wednesday, nearly two years later, head coach Patrick Chambers and the Nittany Lions continued it.

Announced via Twitter and confirmed by Blue White Illustrated, 6-foot-3, 170 pound guard Myreon Jones out of Lincoln Academy in Suwanee, Ga., became the fourth piece to Penn State's Class of 2018. He joins Dread, point guard Rasir Bolton, and guard Daniil Kasatkin.

Eric Bossi, national hoops recruiting director for Rivals.com, offered a glowing assessment of the addition to the Lions' class.

"Jones is an interesting player and one who has a chance to develop into a good piece at Penn State," said Bossi. "He's a good athlete, he loves to attack the paint off the dribble and he can score. As a shooter he's pretty streaky and he can be a bit hit and miss with his productivity. But, the physical tools to play at the Big Ten level are all there.

"More often than not when you pick up a player this late in the recruiting cycle they aren't going to be perfect. Many times you have to reach and hope you can develop them. In Jones case, he's not a reach from a talent standpoint. He's just a little rough around the edges and if he will commit to being coached and developing, Chambers and his staff may end up with a guy that many other programs (especially in the Southeast) will be kicking themselves for passing on."

Jones, a native of Birmingham, Ala., originally committed to Memphis and head coach Tubby Smith in March but parted ways with the Tigers following the coach's firing at the end of the season.

In the time since, the Rivals.com three-star and No. 38-ranked point guard in the country added offers from UMass and Kennesaw State. According to a report from the Wichita Eagle, Jones also held offers from Colorado State, Stephen F. Austin, Wofford, New Mexico State, Fordham, UAB, Arkansas-Little Rock, Murray State, and South Alabama. According to Lincoln Academy's site, Jones averaged 19.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game last season.

The commitment from Jones is the second big haul for Penn State since Friday, the program having also added St. Bonaventure transfer guard Izaiah Brockington. Both recruiting efforts for Jones and Brockington were headed up by Penn State assistant coach Keith Urgo.

The pickup ends Penn State's recruiting for this cycle, its 13 scholarships for the 2018-19 season distributed to seniors Davis Zemgulis, Satchel Pierce, and Josh Reaves, juniors Lamar Stevens and Mike Watkins, sophomores Trent Buttrick, Jamari Wheeler, and John Harrar, a forced redshirt for transfer guard Izaiah Brockington, and incoming freshmen Myles Dread, Rasir Bolton, Daniil Kasatkin, and Myreon Jones.