By KEVIN McNAMARA

Old-time basketball coaches used to crack that recruiting needs to be like shaving. If you take a day off, someone will notice.

Kim English and his staff at Providence College clearly don’t take many – if any – days off. Only a few days after securing the final pieces of the 2024-25 roster out of the transfer portal, the Friar staff welcomed high school junior Jamier Jones on a campus visit the last few days. On Sunday, Jones announced a commitment to enroll at Providence in the fall of 2025 via Instagram Live. Jones said he picked Mother’s Day for his college reveal on purpose.

“It’s just the loyalty that Providence has shown me,” Jones said. “Coach (Kim) English calls me before every game on Face Time. He’s already coaching before I committed.”

Jones picked the Friars over a finalist list of South Carolina, LSU, Ohio St., Kansas and Houston. He is regarded as one of the five-star prospects in the 2025 class.

“I just thank my Mom for everything she’s done. She’s made so many sacrifices for me that no one would ever understand,” Jones said.

Jones is ranked the 22nd best prospect in the 2025 class in the 247sports Composite rankings. The Friars also own a verbal commitment from 6-10 center Erhunmwunse Oswin, who is 24th in the same 247Sports rankings. Jones (16th) and Oswin (31) also shine in ESPN’s Top 100 in the 2025 class.

While there remains a possibility that Oswin reclassifies and enrolls at Providence this fall, Jones has another year of high school to complete. The 6-5 wing with a strong, athletic body was was a first team All-Stater in Florida this past season after leading his Oak Ridge Pioneers (27-4) to the Class 7A state championship game. Oak Ridge they lost to fellow nationally rated 2025 stars Cameron and Cayden Boozer of Miami Columbus. Jones averaged 19.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest while shooting 68 percent from the field. His team finished the season ranked No. 7 in the final MaxPreps Top 25 and Jones was a 2nd team All-American among all prep juniors.

The 6-foot-6 junior shooting guard scored 30 points twice against Evans and Windermere Prep, a Class 3A finalist, at the beginning of the season. In the state championship game Jones scored 16 points and grabbed four rebounds in the loss to Columbus.

 

Jones is wearing number 1 for Oak Ridge. His athleticism dominates most high school opponents but he’s also enjoyed strong showings for several seasons on the Nike EYBL circuit with his Florida Rebels team. In six games this spring, Jones is averaging 18.8 points and 4.8 rebounds. He enjoyed a high of 28 points on 12-of-17 shooting in a tight loss to Indy Heat.