The University of Evansville men's basketball team added its newest member today when Lewis Jones, one of the top high school scorers and rebounders in Memphis, Tenn. this past season, signed a national letter of intent.

The 6'3", 200-pound Jones becomes the fifth newcomer on the Purple Aces' 2009-10 roster. He joins incoming freshmen Colt Ryan of Batesville, Ind., Derek Johnson of Houston, Texas and Troy Taylor of Anderson, Ind., along with sophomore Bryan Bouchie, who sat out the 2008-09 season following one year at Valparaiso University.

"Lewis is a good athlete and a good person," according to Head Coach Marty Simmons. "He's very explosive with the ball. He has great hands, and he's a very good rebounder for his size. He was a post player in high school, but he can shoot the ball and we expect him to become a very good swing player for us."

Jones was the second leading scorer in Memphis this past season with a 21.9 average at GW Carver High School, where he also averaged 9.1 rebounds and shot 47 percent from three-point range in leading his team to a 20-12 record. He scored a season-high 39 points against Mitchell. Jones was a member of the 15-player All-Metro Team as a junior and senior, and was the only player in the city this season who ranked in the top five in both scoring and rebounding.

Jones joins a University of Evansville program that went 17-14 this past season and finished fifth in the 10-team Missouri Valley Conference. Simmons was third in voting for MVC Coach of the Year. The Purple Aces also made their first post-season appearance in a decade, playing in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. UE loses its top four scorers, including first-team all-MVC forward Shy Ely, but seven lettermen return, including frontcourt players Pieter van Tongeren, James Haarsma, Clint Hopf and C.J. Erickson, and guards Denver Holmes, Trevor Gregory and Kavon Lacey.