Lamont "Momo" Jones and Derrick Williams leave USC

On Wednesday, we mentioned that USC had lost their fourth recruit this off-season as Lamont "Momo" Jones asked for a release from his LOI.

For those keeping track at home, that means that the Tim Floyd scandal has cost the Trojans Solomon Hill (Rivals #27), Noel Johnson (#53), Lamont Jones (#68), and you could even convince me that it was the reason USC did not welcome Renardo Sidney (#16) onto campus.

It isn't over yet as Derrick Williams, a 6'7" forward and a three-star recruit, has re-opened his recruiting after gaining a release from his LOI. The only recruit that USC still has signed is Evan Smith, a 6'6" guard from Calabasas High in California.

Derrick Williams has gotten out of his LOI to USC.
(photo credit: USC)

We've talked at great length about USC and the troubles their program has and will have while this NCAA investigation plays out. So now the question becomes where do these recruits end up?

We already know where Hill (Arizona) and Sidney (Mississippi State) are headed. But Jones and Johnson are both consensus top 100 players, and there not many schools in the country that couldn't stand to add a top 100 recruit.

According to ZagsBlog, Jones is looking at Florida, Memphis, and Arizona as possible destinations. All three destinations look appealing. At Arizona (UPDATE: InsideSocal is reporting that Jones will head to Arizona), he would get to spend a year learning from potential Pac-10 POY Nic Wise before taking over the starting role (at Point Guard U, nonetheless). Florida will have some immediate minutes available in the backcourt after losing Walter Hodge, Jai Lucas, and Nick Calathes this season.

But I think Memphis is where Jones should go. Despite all that they lost to graduation, the NBA, and John Calipari, the Tigers still have a pretty talented roster available for Josh Pastner. But they are in desperate need of a point guard, and Jones would be able to slide right into the starting line-up.

Momo Jones could end up leading Memphis next season.
(photo credit: Slam)

Crazy fact of the day: Jones will have commited to at least five schools when it is all said and done. He has decommited from Louisville (twice), Virginia Tech, and USC already.

Johnson has visited UNLV and UNC-Charlotte, but is also reportedly being pursued very hard by Xavier, LSU, Georgia, and Georgia Tech. Completely speculating here, but I think he ends up at Tech. Yellow Jacket recruits Derrick Favors and Mfon Udofia are also local products (Johnson played HS ball in Fayetteville), and Johnson has gone on record saying he "would be more comfortable" at Tech.

If he does enroll at Tech, and the Jackets somehow manage to get Gani Lawal back into school, Paul Hewitt would have a pretty solid core with Lawal, Johnson, Favors, and Iman Shumpert.