Several players really captured the eyes of college coaches at the Phenom Summer Havoc. One of those players was Strong Center's 2023 Micah Jones, as the 5'11 guard really elevated his game, showed his scoring power, his IQ, and his ability to be a playmaker. Our very own Jeffrey Bendel had this to say about his performance after the event:
'His abilities as an extremely quick, heady, intelligent floor general allow him to reliably set the tone on both ends of the floor. Jones is quite patient and doesn't force the action, but utilizes his blinding first step to blow past defenders, touch the paint, and make correct reads with unwavering consistency. He sees the floor extremely well and knows how to get his teammates the ball in favorable spots, but can also assert himself as a scorer in numerous ways. Jones finishes strong, especially for his size, and can hit jumpers at a respectable percentage from the perimeter. He's a really pesky defender with the ability to mirror opponents at the point of attack and force turnovers at a quality rate.'
After his performance in South Carolina, Jones picked up offers from Navy and Mount Olive, as he spoke about what they had to say and who else has been showing interest his way.
Phenom: How do you think the first LIVE period went for you' Really opened some eyes about your game.
Jones: It went well. I think I played well but I was a little upset that we didn't win all the games but overall, it went well. I was confident in the work I put in, but I just had to show that to everyone else and prove that being a sub-6'0 guard is not an issue.
Phenom: What were you hoping to show more with your game that weekend'
Jones: This past weekend, I was trying to show coaches that I can play at the highest level and show off my defensive abilities. I also wanted to show my ability to shoot the ball and score on all three levels while creating and making plays for my teammates
Phenom: What was it like to get that offer from Navy'
Jones: It was a great feeling, getting my first Division I offer. He asked me to give a self-evaluation of my game. He then complimented me on what he thought of me as a player and after that, he offered me.
Phenom: Have you been in contact with the schools that have offered before'
Jones: Yes, both Mount Olive and Navy's assistant coaches started contacting me after I played at the LIVE event and with my school team back in June at the Rise Center.
Phenom: Anything stand out about those schools early on'
Jones: How nice and welcoming they were. They both kept up with me a lot and watched pretty much all of my games and gave me a lot of feedback from them and showed a lot.
Phenom: What other schools have been showing interest'
Jones: East Carolina, Army, Lafayette, VMI, Lees-McRae, and Concord.
Phenom: Have you made any visits to schools'
Jones: I had an unofficial visit to ECU and Mount Olive.
Phenom: How were those visits and did anything stand out'
Jones: They were both great. For ECU, I got to see a practice and the facility and what stood out was how cool the players were. They stopped and talked to me, and they were all cool. The Mount Olive visit was great too, the coaches are really nice and we had a lot of great talks while I was there.