New York point guard Lamont “Momo” Jones committed to Arizona Wednesday, choosing the PAC-10 school over Florida.
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Jones is the No. 11 point guard in the Class of 2009.
He initially committed to Louisville, then Virginia Tech and then USC, but secured his release from Southern Cal after Tim Floyd resigned in the wake of the O.J. Mayo scandal.
“He left a message on my phone and said he did [commit to Arizona],” Oak Hill coach Steve Smith said by phone.
“I think he’s going to be a good player. He’s a freshman and he can play both guard spots. That helps as a freshman. If you get stuck in one position, sometimes it’s hard to get minutes as a freshman. The fact that he can play one or two, I think it helps that he can play.”
Smith said he believes Jones can contribute as a freshman.
“He’s physically mature enough right now as a freshman to have an impact as a freshman. I think he fits in with their plans. If they want him to score he can do that because he shoots it so well. If they want him to run their team, he can do that, too.”
Emanuel “Book” Richardson, an assistant to Arizona head coach Sean Miller, is Jones’ Godfather, but Jones told GOAZCats.com that family was not the deciding factor in the decision.
Jones could split time next year at the point with returning point guard Nic Wise, who took his name out of the NBA Draft and will return to campus.
Jones is the second New York native to join the Wildcats since Miller and Richardson moved there from Xavier. Kevin Parrom, a 6-6 wing who played at South Kent (Conn.), also signed with Arizona after initially committing to Xavier.
In other Arizona news, 6-7 forward Derrick Williams of La Mirada, Calif., will be on campus Thursday.
Williams, who also got a release from USC, took an official visit to Memphis earlier this week.
He said he is considering Arizona, Arizona State, Gonzaga, Memphis and Miami.
**Smith also confirmed that forward Roscoe Smith and point guard Juwan Staten will suit up next year for Oak Hill.
