CARBONDALE, Ill. – The Southern Illinois men’s basketball program announced the signing of Lance Jones to a National Letter of Intent on Wednesday morning. Jones, a combo guard from Evanston, Ill., will be a freshman at SIU in 2019-20.

“Lance not only has great basketball skill, but also great character,” SIU head coach Barry Hinson said. “He will represent our basketball program, our region, and our university in a first-class manner.”

Jones (6-2, 190) led Evanston Township High School to a third-place finish at the Illinois Class 4A state tournament. He averaged 15.5 points and led them to a 27-6 record. Jones earned a spot as an All-State and All-Conference selection. SIU assistant coach Justin Walker was the lead recruiter on Jones.

“He’s a dynamic combo guard,” Walker said. “He’s versatile; he’s already strong enough to play college basketball and can create his own shot. He gets after it on the defensive end and can pick up 94 feet. He has been listed as a top-10 player in the state of Illinois. We’re excited to see what he can do here.”

Jones played for the Meanstreets AAU program, coached by Tyrone Slaughter. He picked Southern Illinois over UAB and Illinois State.

The early signing period remains open until next Wednesday, November 21.