Class of 2014's Tyus Jones – the No. 2 recruit nationwide for that year, according to ESPN.com – officially narrowed his broad list on Saturday night.
Here's what his tweet said: "I have officially narrowed my college choices to... Baylor, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, UNC" Notice the alphabetical listing so as not to accidentally indicate any favorites. The overwhelming reaction in Minnesota will probably be two-fold: a) Yes! Tyus like the Gophers! And then: b) Wait … look at those other schools … Jones is a smart kid, and I'm not sure he would eliminate the Gophers, even if they were technically eliminated. But just because [as my colleague Howard Sinker wrote] one of these things is not like the other, it doesn't mean it doesn't belong. Maybe it doesn't seem likely, but Apple Valley's Jones has named the Gophers as one of eight and Minnesota should continue to go after him that way. Of course, the elite list is another reminder of just how tough a challenge the Gophers face in competing for top recruits. Jones has said throughout high school that he plans to go to college with Chicago's Jahlil Okafor, another top 5 recruit. Okafor hasn't officially narrowed his own list.
