UNLV notches another recruiting victory on eve of season opener

By Taylor Bern

Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014 | 3:53 p.m.

Twenty-seven and a half hours before its first game of the 2014-15 season, the UNLV basketball team registered a victory. Not against Morehead State, the Rebels’ opponent Friday night, but against UConn, Auburn and the other schools recruiting class of 2015 forward Derrick Jones, who went on ESPNU this afternoon and made a verbal commit to the Rebels.

“I’m going to take my talents to UNLV,” Jones said, borrowing the infamous line from LeBron James.

Jones is the Rebels’ second commitment in the class of 2015 following Canadian guard Jalen Poyser, who signed his national letter of intent on Wednesday. Poyser previously played a year at Findlay Prep under current UNLV assistant Todd Simon.

Jones, listed at 6-foot-6 and 180 pounds, plays for Archbishop Carroll High in Wayne, Pa., located about 16 miles northwest of Philadelphia. He’s ranked No. 42 in the class by Rivals — Poyser is No. 84 — and said one of the biggest factors for his decision was the family atmosphere he felt on campus for his official visit about a month ago.

“It felt like a brotherhood when I went there,” he said.

Just two weeks ago the Rebels didn’t have anyone committed in the upcoming class, and now they have both of the graduating scholarships — seniors Cody Doolin and Jelan Kendrick — covered while the work continues to prepare for other possible departures.

Bishop Gorman’s Stephen Zimmerman and his family will attend both UNLV games this weekend on an official visit. A consensus top-10 player in the class of 2015, Zimmerman was going to save his official visits for out-of-town destinations before recently canceling a trip to North Carolina and plugging in the Rebels, who remain in contention for their top target.

Taylor Bern can be reached at 948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.