Pitt Basketball Hosts 2026 4-Star Guard

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers are still searching for their first basketball commitment in the Class of 2026, but they'll hope their most recent official visitor becomes that key piece for them.

Pitt hosted four-star Class of 2026 guard Jermal Jones Jr. on an official visit on Sept. 26, as he posted his visit to his Instagram.

Jones plays for powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. but previously played for Bell Creek Academy in Riverview, Fla., just outside of Tampa, for his freshman and sophomore seasons.

He also played for Jet Academy on the NIke Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) circuit, which saw him gain traction from other schools and led to offers from many schools over the past year and a half.

Jones stands 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds and works as combo guard, working the point, but also serving as a strong scorer as well.

Jermal Jones Pitt Panthers IMG Academy — Jermal Jones from IMG Academy dunks against Oak Ridge at the City of Palms Classic at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024. | Andrew West/The News-Press / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

He excels in a few areas, especially on defense and his 3-point shooting is a strong suit, making him a "3-and-D" player. He also does well getting to the basket, with a strong dunk or a smooth layup to finish at the rim.

Jones also has a solid mid-range jumper and can dunk with both hands, making him an exciting player to watch all over the court.

Jones also took an official visit to another ACC school in Cal back on Sept. 12. He holds offers from ACC schools in Clemson and Florida State, Big Ten schools in Purdue and Washington, Big 12 schools in CIncinnati and West Virginia, plus Mississippi State and mid majors in Jacksonville and Stetson.

He is also the son of Jermal Jones Sr., who played college basketball at Purdue.

Jones is a consensus four-star recruit, with ESPN ranking him 71st in the nation, eighth in Florida and the 12th best shooting guard, On3/Rivals ranking him 93rd in the country, 14th in the state and 24th at his position and 247Sports ranking him 110th in his class, 18th in Florida and 15th at shooting guard.

Pitt already hosted another top recruit from IMG Academy on an official visit in four-star power forward Chase Foster, who is also in the Class of 2026 and uncommitted.

The Panthers also previously had twins in Guillermo and Jorge Diaz Graham, who played at IMG Academy, on the team the past three seasons, before they transferred to San Francisco and Oregon State, respectively.

Pitt has hosted five Class of 2026 four-star recruits in total, along with wing Ethan Mgbako, who committed to Vanderbilt, guard Neiko Mundey, who committed to Texas A&M, and Jasiah Jervis, who has Pitt in his final six schools.

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