St. John’s lands DePaul transfer David Jones to boost offense
A few weeks after landing standout Illinois transfer Andre Curbelo, St. John’s picked up a verbal commitment from DePaul transfer David Jones.
nypost.com
By Zach Braziller
DePaul's David Jones is transferring to St. John's.
AP
First Andre Curbelo and now David Jones.
The Mets aren’t the only Queens team enjoying a strong spring.
Jones, an uber-talented DePaul transfer, verbally committed to Mike Anderson and St. John’s on Sunday night, according to a source, a massive addition that raises the Johnnies’ ceiling for next year.
Jones joins Curbelo, the Illinois transfer who attended high school at Long Island Lutheran, and Posh Alexander to form a potentially dynamic trio that could send St. John’s to its first NCAA Tournament under Anderson.
The 6-foot-6 Jones was courted by a number of high-major programs, most notably Oregon and West Virginia, but he settled on St. John’s after a visit this weekend. Assistant coach Greg “Shoes” Vetrone was his lead recruiter, and played a very significant role in his decision, a source close to Jones said. Center Joel Soriano, who was a teammate of Jones’ on the Dominican Republic national team and a close friend, was also vital. So was Curbelo, who was active in his recruitment. They helped him feel comfortable with the Queens school.
Jones immediately becomes St. John’s most talented and skilled scorer after Julian Champagnie and Aaron Wheeler left for the professional ranks. He’s a proven Big East commodity who averaged 14.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists last year for DePaul while shooting a shade under 30 percent from 3-point range in his first full college season.
“He’s talented, a really aggressive left-handed attacking guy that can get to the rim and is really dangerous in transition,” a Big East coach familiar with Jones said. “A streaky shooter, but super confident. He can get it going a little bit from three as well. He’s at his best getting downhill, going to his left hand and scoring through contact. He’s a problem. He’s got all sorts of potential.
“The way that St. John’s plays, their [uptempo] style of play, he’s suited for that. He’s going to get a lot in transition. He can get 15, 16, 17 points a game for them.”
The coach believes the trio of Curbelo, Alexander and Jones is as good as any backcourt in the Big East on paper, and that doesn’t even include incoming four-star recruit AJ Storr or impressive rising sophomore Rafael Pinzon in a loaded group of guards.
Jones is the second Big East inter-conference transfer, after Connecticut guard Corey Floyd Jr. recently transferred to Providence. His addition leaves St. John’s with one open scholarship left for next season. It is recruiting Cardinal Hayes High School star big man Tobe Awaka, who was the Gatorade Player in New York this year.
But whatever happens with that last scholarship, this has been a home run of an offseason for St. John’s. It didn’t lose any scholarship players to the transfer portal and has added two difference-makers.
