Jones ‘95 percent’ certain he will attend Kentucky

SEATTLE — Lorenzo Romar sounds ready to close the book on the Terrence Jones saga, even though the plot continues to thicken.

Romar, the University of Washington men’s basketball coach, told KJR radio Thursday that he’s ready to “move on” after the standout from Jefferson High School in Portland, Ore., backed out of his verbal commitment to UW and signed a non-binding financial aid agreement with Kentucky on Wednesday night.

The announcement could have ended one of the most bizarre recruiting battles in recent memory, but Jones told The Oregonian on Wednesday night that he was only “95 percent” certain that he would attend UK. Jones told the newspaper that he would be willing to look at his options again if Wildcats coach John Calipari takes an NBA job in the coming weeks or months.

Calipari has been rumored for several openings with NBA teams, but he has continually told reporters that he has no plans to leave Kentucky.

Meanwhile, Romar reacted to the Jones decision with typical class. He did not bad-mouth Jones or the UK program, opting instead to praise the Huskies’ returning players and the three incoming players who did sign with UW.

“The way I see it, it’s done,” Romar told the radio station Thursday. “Guys make their decision, and you move on. I’m still excited about the guys we have coming here.”

UW’s 2010 recruiting class includes former Jones teammate Terrence Ross, 6-foot-6 swingman Desmond Simmons and 7-foot transfer Aziz N’diaye.

The Huskies still have an available scholarship. If Jones does second-guess his decision, he would be able to get out of the financial aid agreement without penalty. Had he signed a national letter-of-intent and tried to get out of it, Jones could have been forced to sit out a year under NCAA transfer rules.

The 6-9 Jones was considered a top-15 national recruit, and he was the most highly-regarded unsigned prospect heading into Wednesday’s final signing day. He’ll join an impressive Kentucky recruiting class that also includes 6-10 Turkish center Enes Kanter, who also made a verbal commitment to UW but backed out of it.