The Tyus Jones-Jahlil Okafor package deal will likely come to fruition at some point.
But it won’t happen this week at the Nike Global Challenge in Washington, D.C.
The dynamic duo had been set to play together on the loaded USA Midwest team, but now Okafor and his Mac Irvin fire teammate, Cliff Alexander, are no longer in the event. Neither is Houston St. John’s wing Justise Winslow, who is considering joining the Jones-Okafor package in college.
It remains unclear why all three players — who were on the original rosters — are out, but Alexander and Winslow confirmed it by text to SNY.tv. Sources added that Okafor won’t appear, either.
Led by Jones and fellow Minnesota star guard Rashad Vaughn, the Midwest team will take the court for the first time at the event at 8 p.m. Wednesday when they scrimmage a USA East team featuring Syracuse-bound Chris McCullough and other East Coast standouts.
Their first real game will take place Thursday at 2 p.m. against Brazil.
Eight teams are in the three-day event at Trinity Washington University, including four from the USA.
While all of the American teams have their share of stars, the Midwest team would have been something special had it featured Jones, Vaughn, Okafor and Alexander.
The Midwest also has Indiana-bound shooting guard James Blackmon, Louisville-bound guard JaQuan Lyle and uncommitted point guard Tyler Ulis.
Last week at the Peach Jam, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and Kentucky coach John Calipari stood side-by-side between two courts to catch both Jones, the 6-1 point guard, and Okafor, the 6-10 big man. Both players could be one-and-done but not before they spend a year together on a college campus, a plan they reportedly hatched while playing together two years ago at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Mexico.
“It’s like we’re brothers,” Jones told FayObserver.com. “We’re great friends, and that’s the main reason why we want to do this. Aside from how well we play on the court, we have a bond off the court, and that’s why we want to try to do something special.”
Some think the two players will inevitably land at Duke, but Kentucky, Kansas, Baylor, Ohio State and Michigan State remain options for both.
Meantime, Winslow was originally slated to team with his Houston Hoops teammate Kelly Oubre and Oakland Soldiers wing Stanley Johnson on the USA West roster, but is no longer coming.
Winslow is still considering joining Jones and Okafor, potentially at Duke, Baylor or Kansas.
If that were to happen, the 6-foot-6 Winslow believes some school would be getting a special situation.
“I think one, none of us are selfish and two, we’re just high-level guys that want to win and we’re not at the same position,” Winslow said at the Peach Jam.
“So you got a have a true point guard, an athletic wing, a dominant big man down low. With those three guys you can really build a team around them. Get a shooter and then a four or something, I think just our ability to compete and win just allows just to be able to play together rand we have played together before.”
Unfortunately, while coaches like Calipari, Coach K, Bill Self, Scott Drew, Thad Matta and Tom Izzo will still likely flock to the event this week, they won’t get to see the Jones-Okafor combo in action.
