Jaden Jones & Jalen Miller sign with Rutgers basketball

Wednesday was the first day of the early signing period for college basketball and Rutgers men’s basketball added two intriguing prospects in the 2021 recruiting class.

Jaden Jones is a 6’8” wing from Dallas, Texas who had verbally committed to Rutgers in early March. He is ranked as a 3-star prospect and the no. 136 player in the 2021 class per 247 Sports composite rankings, but Jones also has a 4-star rating per Rivals and ESPN. He averaged 25 points and 6 rebounds during his junior season and was named the MVP of the championship game at the Wootten Top 150 camp last month.

He is a two-way player who has a chance to become a major contributor on day one at Rutgers. Jones is a polished offensive player that can score at all levels, while also being a strong on the ball defender. He also has the versatility to play and defend multiple positions. Jones is also a former teammate of current Rutgers freshman Mawot Mag when they both played at Prolific Prep in California.

“We are so excited to welcome Jaden Jones into our Rutgers family,” head coach Steve Pikiell said. “Jaden is a multi-position, versatile player that is a talented scorer who can really shoot the basketball and score at all three levels. He has great work ethic and he continues to improve. He is exceptional young man that comes from a great family and is a great student. He brings the whole package to Piscataway. Jaden is going to have a great career here at Rutgers and I can’t wait to coach him.”

Jalen Miller is a 6’3” point guard from Washington D.C. who verbally committed to Rutgers in August. The 3-star recruit is the no. 234 player in the 2021 class per 247 Sports composite rankings. He averaged 15 points, 10 assists and 5.5 rebounds during his junior season. Miller has the potential to be a dynamic floor general at Rutgers who will add versatility to the point guard position along with current sophomore Paul Mulcahy.

“Rutgers nation is going to love Jalen Miller,” head coach Steve Pikiell said. “He is a tough and athletic, two-way point guard who comes to us from a terrific program. He can get to the rim, he is an exceptional defender and most importantly, he’s an exceptional student and a young man that will represent the Scarlet Knights the right way. He possesses all the tools we want in a Rutgers basketball player. We’re really excited to have him join us.”

”Jalen Miller is a true point, in that he is a run the team first guard,” Bishop Walsh head coach Dan Prete said. “He is extremely vocal on the court. His competitive spirit drives him to win. I’m very excited that he will be part of the Rutgers family.”

Rutgers appears to have one additional scholarship available for the 2021 recruiting cycle, although nothing is certain after the NCAA ruling that all winter student-athletes have been granted an additional year of eligibility. Regardless, signing both Jones and Miller is a very positive development for the program ahead of the 2020-2021 season beginning later this month. Both players have the potential to become multi-year starters at Rutgers and should be great fits for Pikiell and the program.