2025 Jonah Lawrence has been a proven prospect here in North Carolina but it has taken some time for schools to pull the trigger in offering him. But the time finally came for him, as Western Carolina was the first school to offer Lawrence, but that trend could continue as the year went on. Lawrence flips the bill as a guard who can impact a program and be a nice piece; his size, his shot-making, and his development all have been impressive and he continues to put in the work.
Phenom Hoops caught up with Lawrence to talk to him more about his excitement about receiving his first D1 offer from Western Carolina, his experience at the school, who else has been showing interest, and his excitement about playing at Providence Day this upcoming season.
Lawrence on receiving his first offer:
“Receiving that first offer felt amazing. I have been building a great relationship with a lot of the staff at Western Carolina and they continue to believe in me, and they check in on me almost every week. Coach Freesman, Coach Gee, Coach Lightfoot, and the rest of the staff all say they like my game and my character. How I received my first offer is Coach Gray pulled me into his office, said he loved my game, liked the person I am becoming, and my work ethic and he offered me a full scholarship. It was a day I will never forget.”
In speaking with Lawrence more, this wasn’t the first time that the staff had expressed interest his way. They actually were the first school to contact him on June 15th, and they have been staying in touch ever since.
What stood out while at the program:
“I really liked how comfortable the coaches and staff made me feel as soon as I stepped onto campus. They made it seem like we were all a part of a family. I also really liked the arena and facility and the attention to detail that they represent. They are building a very strong program and I am excited to see what the future holds.”
Other interests starting to pick up:
Lawrence has continued to prove himself in a big way and now that his first D1 offer is on the board, others would be wise to follow as well. Talking recently to Lawrence, he mentioned that schools like Belmont, Iona, Furman, High Point, UNCG, Wofford, and Lehigh have all shown interest his way as well.
“They have all been saying they want to keep building a relationship with me and they like my game. Also, some of them are going to come see me during the fall period.”
Continuing to work in his game and adjusting to the new team:
“It’s been going great with the new team; we all have a strong bond and we have a lot of good pieces that I think give us a strong chance of doing something special. As far as individually I have been putting a lot of work in, really trying to become more consistent with my jump shot, and getting bigger, stronger, and faster.”