Orlando's own Jamier Jones, a Providence transfer and gifted athlete, could bolster UCF's hoops squad. His potential return home ignites exciting possibilities for the Knights.
As UCF men's hoops enters the offseason, head coach Johnny Dawkins and his staff should have a bit more resources and attractiveness coming off of a back-to-back 20-win season and the second March Madness appearance in program history.
Last season, the Knights were among the bottom of the power 4 conferences in NIL, but still managed to build a well-rounded squad that finished in the top half of the best conference in the nation.
This year, UCF should return some scoring contribution, which is already a boost from last offseason. However, the transfer portal remains a key tool.
Standout freshman wing Jamier Jones recently entered the portal after averaging 11.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists on efficient 57-percent shooting from the field with Providence.
Jones played his first few years of high school at Riverview in Sarasota, FL, before transferring to local Oak Ridge High School for his senior season.
The last local product to transfer into UCF, senior combo guard Riley Kugel, found success with the Knights, leading the team in scoring with 14.4 points per game.
Coming out of high school, Jones was a 4-star prospect, according to 247 Sports. The 6-foot-6 athletic wing had over 15 power four offers, including UCF, but ended up choosing the Big East's Providence over teams like Kansas, Houston and Illinois.
Adam Finkelstein, 247 Sports Director of Scouting, highlighted Jones' strengths in his scouting report back in December of 2024.
"Jones is a powerful and rugged 6-foot-6 forward who can thrive with his overlap of physicality, athleticism, and basketball IQ when his motor is running at full throttle. He's most efficient when he embraces that junkyard dog mentality. He plays with energy, runs the floor, and is a lob threat on offense Jones can elevate in traffic and is a physical driver who seeks out contact," Finkelstein wrote. "He has an athletic live body on the glass. Jones shows some real signs of being a good cutter off the ball and flashes a passing instinct at times."
Jones' athleticism and size has been his main weapon in college, as the lanky wing frequently found himself getting out and scoring in transition this past season.
His 3-point shooting and jump-shot mechanics have been a concern, dating back to high school, but Jones continued to show improvement throughout the year, ending at 38.7-percent.
If Jones can continue to develop as a jump-shooter while honing in on his athletic gifts, he projects as a future NBA talent. Coming somewhere close to home, like UCF, could help Jones meet his full potential, as he could also learn from veteran returning wings like Jordan Burks and Jamichael Stillwell, if they do indeed return.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!