Providence has been looking to bolster its wing room in the 2027 class, and Dylan Jones is one of a few wings that Providence is honing in on. The 6’6 big bodied wing from Tennessee is scheduled to visit Providence in September alongside a slew of other high major schools.
Maybe our old friend Jalen Lindsey can put a good word in for us?
We discuss his game below, enjoy.
Recruiting Overview
Dylan Jones is a 4 star, Top 50 player from the Volunteer State of Tennessee. He is the number one ranked player in his state and ranked 45th nationally according to 247 sports.
His offer list is impressive, with SEC schools like A&M, Ole Miss, and Alabama also heavily pursuing him. Memphis has also offered, and I’m waiting for the state school Tennessee to get into the mix.
Bartlett, where Jones is from, is right outside Memphis so they may have the inside track here. Hodgson will be battling against the hometown school, likely state school in Tennessee if they decide to throw their hat into the ring, and then a host of other SEC powers.
Providence Recruiting Strategy
Jones is one of many wings that will be making it to Friartown this summer and fall. Hodgson is clearly prioritizing length and athleticism at the wing position, and the offers and visits reflect that prioritization.
Clyde Walters was originally a Top 100 2027 wing before committing to Providence and reclassifying. Gabe Nesmith, a now Vanderbilt commit, visited campus before pledging to the Commodores. He’s a 6’5 wing.
Carson Crawford, another 4 star wing from Florida, is scheduled to visit Providence later this year as well.
This is just my opinion, but I think Hodgson wants to have positional flexibility and a lot of swiss army knives in his rotation who can play the 2-4 offensively and defensively. Positionless basketball has been all the rage for some time now, and Hodgson and staff trying to build around the wing room is a testament to adopting this strategy.
Game Overview
Jones is a massive wing for somebody his size. Physically, he looks like he can play in college already. He is going to continue to develop physically and will be a matchup nightmare as he continues to stack muscle.
Due to the above, he appears to be the best version of himself offensively when playing downhill and attacking the rim. He can absorb contact and play through said contact because of his build, and defenders seem to have a hard time stopping him once he gets himself in motion.
He has a developing jumper and mid-range game. His stroke looks smooth at all levels, so I have no concerns about him being a 3 level scorer in college. He’s an offensive weapon, exemplified by him winning Offensive MVP at one of the latest Nike EYBL AAU events that featured a ton of high major prospects.
From what I’ve seen of his game, he is currently and probably always will be at his best when the offense is centered around finishing around the rim. He will be spending a lot of time on the free throw line as defenders will be sending him there as he relentlessly attacks the rim.
Defensively, I like the potential addition because he’s going to have the athleticism to guard the 2 or 3, and he is going to have the frame to man up and guard the 4 if needed. You won’t have to worry about him getting exposed on the defensive end because of any physical limitations.
Simply put, he is Day 1 ready the moment he steps onto a college campus.
This recruitment is still in its early stages, but I love the talent and player. We’ll see if Hodgson and staff can sway him to leave his home state and SEC country.
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