As college basketball has drawn to a close, the Blue Zone will take an early look at Duke’s incoming recruiting class—the top-ranked group in the nation. After scouting R.J. Barrett, Zion Williamson and Cam Reddish, we scout the nation's top point guard recruit, Tre Jones:
Scouting report: strengths
Jones is an adept playmaker in the lane, both in setting his teammates up and finishing through contact with either hand. He also has an arsenal of floaters and pull ups that can to combat the length of big men at the college level.
At 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Jones isn’t as physically imposing as others in his recruiting class, but his elite athleticism allows him to be an effective shot blocker and finisher at the rim in traffic. Jones also pulled down 8.9 rebounds a game in his senior campaign, contributing to his future teammate Zion Williamson’s deeming Tre “a walking triple-double.”
Despite the flashy dunks and passes in this tape, Jones’s most valuable attributes are his intangibles. Jones is a poised floor general who thrives when being in the driver seat.
“He talks offensively and defensively, tells you were to be, what you’ve got to do on and off the court,” said Jones’s future teammate, Cam Reddish in an interview with UPROXX.
Scouting report: potential weaknesses
Jones will need to develop his perimeter shot to demand enough respect from defenders to create space for drive-first teammates like Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett.
The lack of a consistent jump shot could make Tre’s adjustment to playing with ball-dominant wings less fluid. Much of his productivity in high school came through on-ball screens, which he will see significantly less of with offensive options like Cam Reddish.
Recent Duke comparison:
In terms of playing style, Duke’s point guard position will see little turnover as Jones bears on-paper resemblance to Trevon Duval—an athletic, do-it-all point guard who thrives in the lane and struggles with consistency shooting from the perimeter.
As a product of not sharing the backcourt with an experienced guard like Grayson Allen. Given his vocal leadership, Jones will bear more leadership responsibilities—which could prove a valuable opportunity.
Floor:
If Jones can’t make defenders respect his outside shot, Duke could suffer from an over-congested offense that’s overly dependent on getting into the lane and ineffective against zone defenses.
Ceiling:
In an ideal scenario, Jones will develop into a floor general capable of coordinating perhaps the most talented recruiting class basketball has seen. If he further refines his defense and develops a consistent 3-point shot, he could become a pass-first point guard capable of spacing the floor, locking down opposing point guards and enticing any NBA scout.
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