Grab your Jok strap: Penn hoops reels in sixth recruit

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I was working on confirming that Penn basketball got another verbal recruit today, but the Cornell Basketball Blog beat me to the punch. While I can't vouch for the accuracy of their report, all signs do seem to indicate that 6-foot-3 guard Dau Jok from Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, Iowa visited Penn over the weekend and gave the coaches a verbal commitment sometime this afternoon. I'll continue working on confirming this information myself, but until then, here are some very interesting tidbits I came upon while digging up this story:

1. Jok is considered a supremely talented shooter, a true three-point specialist. This blog entry by a Montana basketball blogger mentions a report that says Jok "has almost unlimited range" and "has never met a 3 point shot that he didn’t like." ESPN called him "the best catch-and-shoot player at the Hoop City Classic" this past July. From what I've read, Jok's stock soared over the summer as he tore it up in AAU ball. I haven't found any definite numbers for his high school stats yet but I'll keep looking and post them when I do. I did find one blog post that said he was 54-for-138 from three (39.1%) last year.
2. That last post by Jared Todd on  Illinoishsbasketball.com presents some very interesting info about his recruitment and the rest of his game. He says "Dau is not a one-dimensional player, as he is also a very good passer and defender. He also consistently displays great leadership qualities, and is a very vocal player on the court." As far as recruiting, Jok had a very long list which included a number of Ivies, but the interesting thing that Todd mentions is that Dau was looking for a school with “good education, coaching staff, a great fan base and basketball family, good tradition, and a chance to play for championships, either conference or NCAA.” Penn obviously seems to fit the bill. That article was posted Sept. 16, and Todd says "Dau doesn’t plan to make his decision anytime soon, as he wants a chance to take a strong look at all the schools recruiting him." Either he got that opportunity within the last two weeks, or Miller, Gallagher and Co. were able to convince him that Penn perfectly fit his criteria.
3. Perhaps the most interesting fact about this kid is his basketball pedigree. That same story mentions that he is the nephew of former 7-7 NBA center Manute Bol and the first cousin of current Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng. And the good Jok genes extend to his brother Peter, who is a 6-4 high school freshman guard that numerous sites list as one of the top talents in the country for the Class of 2013 (some even have him No. 1).

It looks like Penn has its sixth recruit for the Class of 2014 in the bag, and a very promising one at that. Maybe even better if his brother follows him a few years from now, or anyone else in his family for that matter.