6/9/2017 basketball Edit

Hillcrest Prep guard talks ASU offer

Demarius Jacobs was a former 2017 signee with SIU, has reclassified as a 2018 prospect

Hod Rabino • ASUDevils

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Longest tenured beat writer for Arizona State football and basketball, and a Website Publisher since 2001.

In recent months Demarius Jacobs has been faced with tough decisions having a significant impact on his basketball. Nonetheless, the new path he has forged has so far led him to his first high-major offer.

Jacobs, a Chicago-area player was formerly a 2017 prospect who signed a National Letter of Intent with Southern Illinois University. He since then reclassified to the 2018 class, received his release from SIU and will now play his prep year for Phoenix Hillcrest where he'll join his 2019 Kansas commit brother Markese Jacobs.

“Arizona State has been recruiting me for about a month,” Jacobs said. “I was shocked to get the offer. I wasn’t expecting to get a Pac-12 scholarship. I don’t know much about the program yet, but I know James Harden went there.

“I decided to come to Hillcrest to get my body ready for college and getting my academics ready too. It was a tough decision delaying my college career, but I had to do what I had to do.”

National Recruiting Analyst, Eric Bossi, previously described Jacobs as athletic but also a tough player who has “a nose for the ball to make plays all over the floor. He's a high energy guy all the way who has some range on his jumper and is a bouncy finisher.”

“The coaches like how I get everyone involved,” Jacobs described. “They also like my athleticism and how I finish at the rim. My strengths are attacking the basket and getting open and my weakness is my shooting.”

Aside from SIU, St. Louis and Western Kentucky are the only other programs who have offered the guard. UNLV, Washington, and California are schools that have shown some interest in Jacobs.

Jacobs will play for the Mac Irvin Fire club during next month’s evaluation period and said that he wants to showcase his ball handling, improved shooting and passing skills.

“Most likely I will commit after my season at Hillcrest is over,” Jacobs said hinting towards an April signing. “I’m looking for a school that will have good players and that is coming off a good year. I want to go to a place where I will be happy and become a batter player.”