George Washington Adds Trio



First-year George Washington head coach Jonathan Tsipis has gotten off to a fast start on the recruiting trail.

In his first year as the head coach at George Washington, Jonathan Tsipis has picked up some important momentum on the recruiting trail. The Colonials have received commitments from three talented players — Jonquel Jones is a 6-1 forward who transferred from Clemson, Lauren Chase is a 5-5 point guard who transferred from UMBC, and Jada Matthews is a 6-1 forward who is in the prep class of 2014.

“This is a good group, and I think Jones is the key,” said All Star Girls Report analyst Bret McCormick. “She should really jump start that program. If you’re a first-year head coach, it’s just great if you can get a transfer like Jonquel Jones. She is a tremendous athlete who can play the three or four, and I think she will be their best player.”

Jones is a native of the Bahamas, and she played her high school ball at Riverdale Baptist in Maryland. She opted to leave the Clemson program before she played in a game for the Tigers as a freshman this year.

Chase is also a Riverdale Baptist product, having graduated from the school in 2011. Chase started as a freshman at UMBC, and she started eight games in 2012-13 before transferring. Chase was averaging 13.0 points, 4.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game.

“Lauren obviously played well at UMBC, and the experience she gained on the collegiate level is important for a point guard,” McCormick said. “She is good quickness, and she knows how to run the show.”

Matthews currently plays for Winslow Township High in New Jersey, and ASGR has her listed as the No. 171 recruit nationally in the Class of 2014.

“Jada is a little bit of a sleeper who has been coming on,” McCormick said. “This is a good early pick up for George Washington, because a lot of other programs were just starting to show interest in Jada.”