Xzavier Jones / Photo: Peter Zuzga – Now Media Group

With the 2017/2018 roster now set the Green Bay Phoenix coaching staff is looking towards the future.

Head coach Linc Darner and company extended scholarship offers to several prospects on Wednesday as the summer recruiting season heats up.

One of those prospects is 6’5” forward Xzavier Jones from Greendale Martin Luther. Green Bay is the first to offer the class of 2019 prospect a scholarship.

“I’m blessed and thankful to have received my first offer from Green Bay,” Jones tweeted Wednesday afternoon.

He helped lead Martin Luther to an impressive 22-4 record this past season including a share of the program’s first conference title since 1988. The Spartans knocked off 5-time defending champion Whitefish Bay Dominican in the sectional semifinals before ultimately falling to Division 3 state champion Ripon in the sectional final.

Jones averaged 12.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists this year as a sophomore and was Honorable Mention on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s All-Area Team.

“Athletically, he has nice bounce and agility while instinct-wise he’s shown a solid feel for the game on both ends of the court,” according to Antonio Curro of NY2LA.  “He can collect rebounds when active and defensively he has some potential versatility due to his athleticism, length, and agility making for a very intriguing defensive prospect long term if he continues to develop.”

“Offensively he can score at each level but is more comfortable facing up to the basket where he can attack and finish off the bounce through traffic or slash to the rim in transition for easy baskets.”

Jones ranks as the #5 prospect in Wisconsin’s 2019 class according to NY2LA. While Green Bay is his first official scholarship offer, he has had interest from Marquette, Wisconsin, UNLV, and Bradley.

He is the third known class of 2019 prospect to receive a scholarship offer from Green Bay along with Marcus Domask and Joseph Yesufu. The Phoenix were the first to offer both of those prospects as well.

“A high-flyer in the class of 2019, Jones is an excellent transition forward,” writes Evan Flood. “His teammates love to find him on the go and Jones almost always delivers with a big play at the rim.”

“Jones is improving the rest of his skillset. He can work inside and shows some flashes with his back to the basket. The 6-foot-5 sophomore can also face up and shoot from mid-range or slash to the hole. An excellent shot blocker, Jones excels at coming over from the weak-side and sending the ball back from which it came.”

Yesufu finished his sophomore season as the starting point guard for Bolingbrook (IL). He averaged 10.1 points per game and helped his team to a 30-2 overall record and a third place finish at the Illinois Class 4A state tournament.

A top ten Illinois prospect, the 5’9” guard was offered a scholarship from Green Bay way back in October of 2015. He has since received an offer from UTEP as well as DePaul and is scheduled to take a visit to Vanderbilt this summer.

Marcus Domask / Photo: Mark McMullen – Daily Citizen

As for Domask, his recruiting is likely to take off this summer. Already a 4-star recruit according to 247 Sports, he is rated as the #2 prospect in the state and a top 100 recruit in the country.

The 6’5” wing averaged 20.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists this past season as a sophomore for Waupun and was named WBCA Division 3 all-state for the second year in a row. He helped lead the Warriors to a state championship in 2016 as a freshman.

“Talented wing prospect who can score off the dribble, in the post and from the perimeter,” his WisSports bio reads. According to the website, Domask is receiving “strong interest from Drake, Milwaukee, Northern Iowa and San Diego State, among others.”

Green Bay remains his only scholarship offer to date after the Phoenix offered a scholarship last October while he made an unofficial visit to campus.

“They keep in contact with me, ask how things are going,” he told NY2LA Sports regarding his Green Bay recruitment.  “They just really care about their players and treat them really well. The coaches are really great and I get along with them.”

Domask, who is one of Green Bay’s top priorities in the 2019 class, made a visit to the Resch Center during the season and told NY2LA’s Evan Flood it went well.

“It was good,” he told the website. “There was a pretty big crowd. Their fans were really awesome for that game.

The Phoenix coaches have been keeping tabs on several other prospects as well but have not yet pulled the trigger on a scholarship offer.

Reece Castor, a 6’4” guard from Gladstone, MI, and AJ Makinen, a 6’1” guard from Muskego, WI, visited Green Bay last November.

The Phoenix have also checked in on another pair of guards – Larry Canaday, 6’2” from Racine, WI; and Kejaun Clements, 6’3” from Chicago.