Official Visit Primer: Four Star Shooting Guard Lester Quinones Comes to Bloomington

For the second time in less than a week, Indiana will have a prominent four-star guard on its campus as it tries to round out its 2019 recruiting class.

The Hoosiers struck out with Anthony Harris, who chose North Carolina on Tuesday night.  Next up is shooting guard Lester Quinones, who arrived in Bloomington on Wednesday.

IU doesn’t have a long history in the recruitment of Quinones, but the Hoosier coaching staff has made impressive progress with the New York native in a short period of time.

To the surprise of many, Indiana was included on Quinones’ “final seven” list of schools in February.  Many observers wrote off that inclusion as window dressing, but Indiana has now made it to the final five and have secured this important visit to Bloomington.

The competition is stiff, with Memphis and LSU the presumed favorites.  Quinones will visit Michigan after Indiana, and the Wolverines will be another strong contender with guard Jordan Poole now officially leaving for the NBA.

What likely has gotten IU this far is something they can sell with a straight face — immediate playing time.  Quinones’ best attribute is perimeter shooting, and that is something Indiana has a strong need for.  Now that Harris has opted to play for the Tar Heels, the opportunity at IU for Quinones couldn’t be more clear.

ESSENTIALS

Hometown – Huntington Station, NY (IMG)
Position – Shooting Guard
Height – 6-foot-5
Weight – 185
247 Sports Composite Rating – 4-star
Primary Competition – Memphis, Maryland, Michigan, LSU

Timeline — Quinones will announce his decision on May 10.

ASSESSEMENT

— Corey Evans, Rivals:

“Quinones is most valued for his toughness and shot making prowess. He took a prep year this winter at IMG Academy and saw his stock improve further with some of the nation’s best jumping into his recruitment.”

— Evan Daniels, 247Sports:

“It’s clear that the move to Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy has been helpful for Quinones….he’s gotten into terrific shape and even appears a step quicker and a tad bouncier. Quinones is known as a shooter, and he does it at a high-level, but his game is rounding out and he’s turning into a heck of a scorer.”

QUOTABLE

On where things stand with Indiana as of last week (via 247Sports $)

“Another coach I’ve built a great relationship with is coach Miller. He’s been calling a lot, texting a lot. Can’t wait to get down to that visit, see the campus, see the fans and everything down there. It’s just been great speaking with him and coach Flint too. I just want to see the facilities, the area, just really get to speak with coach Miller face to face and see what he has to say. That’s really it.”

HOW HE FITS AT INDIANA

With Indiana hitting just 31% of their three-pointers in 2018-19 and just 32% the year before, the fit is obvious.  Quinones brings a scoring punch and can make defenses pay for the “pack-it-in” approach that was used routinely against IU this past season.  His shot making ability is not unlike what IU fans saw with Devonte Green during his hot stretch to close out the 2018-19 season.

Quinones also plays with a little bit of swagger and has toughness that the Hoosiers need more of.

After playing against a highly competitive schedule with IMG, there is little doubt that Quinones will come to college ready to contribute — and Indiana could use his skill set on day one.

LESTER QUINONES VIDEO AND INTERVIEWS

Both of these videos are from Quinone’s senior season with IMG.

This video give you an in depth personal view of Quinones.

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