Coach Jones at the Shootout

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Jones in hoop heaven during Shoot-Out

University of North Texas men’s head basketball coach Johnny Jones has one very nice perk to his job.

Each year, some of the nation’s best recruits make their way to Denton for the Great American Shoot-Out and take the equivalent of an unofficial visit to UNT, often even playing on the Mean Green’s home floor at the Super Pit.

"It’s just a great event, not only just for us but for the university as a whole," Jones said. "When you take 256 teams and you’ve got anywhere from 10 to 12 kids on a team, you’ve got a lot of parents coming into these events."

That can often lead to players ending up playing for Jones when they go to college.

"I think some of these kids are coming back up here to go to school because their parents may have been on campus for the first time and seen how nice the campus is."

Even though coaches are not allowed to talk to players at the Shoot-Out, they are allowed to actively scout.

"It’s a great advantage for us," Jones said, "Unfortunately, we don’t have a chance to talk to them [the players], but for them to be on our campus and to play in the arenas and the gyms has really been good for us.

"It’s an excellent opportunity for us. "

— Chuck Cox