FERRIDAY, La. &045; Monique Jones didn’t have to wait and think things over before deciding where to play college ball.

She decided before the visit was over.

The Ferriday High School standout verbally committed before she left Waco, Texas, to continue her career at Baylor and play for head coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson.

Verbal commitments are non-binding, and Jones said she will make it official come signing day in April.

&uot;It’s a great atmosphere &045; coaches, players, everything,&uot; said Jones, last year’s All-Metro Player of the Year. &uot;They made me feel like I was family and like I was at home. I was there for three days, and I didn’t feel homesick. Plus, I have an uncle that lives an hour and a half from Waco. I committed while I was up there.&uot;

Jones will become part of the Lady Bears’ program that was 15-5 overall and 4-4 in the Big 12 heading into Saturday night’s game against No. 5-ranked Kansas State.

The Lady Bears have been in the last two NCAA tournaments under Mulkey-Robertson &045; a native of Hammond &045; and had two players go in the WNBA draft after last season.

&uot;I think I can come in and contribute,&uot; Jones said. &uot;I’ve got to work hard in practice. Being that she (Mulkey-Robertson) is from Louisiana and she was a point guard, I’m going in playing a guard position. She can give me advice on how to be a better guard.&uot;

Jones’ decision may have come as somewhat of a surprise after she admitted she’d sit back and wait to see which other schools would be interested. Mulkey-Robertson watched Jones when the Lady Trojans hosted Neville Jan. 21 ago, which came during the quiet time of the recruiting season.

&uot;She said it was like home,&uot; Ferriday head coach Lisa Abron said. &uot;She admires Kim Mulkey a lot, and she indicated to us that’s where she wanted to go. She went on a visit, and it was like icing on the cake. The team liked her, and they can’t wait for her to get there. I think she made a good decision.&uot;

Mulkey-Robertson has brought the Lady Bears to a credibility level quickly in her two years in Waco. The longtime assistant coach under Leon Barmore at Louisiana Tech has made the program a legititmate contender in the Big 12 &045; a league that includes nationally ranked teams Texas, Texas Tech, Kansas State and Oklahoma.

&uot;When you play for somebody like Kim Mulkey, that’s enough said right there,&uot; Abron said. &uot;A Hall of Famer and an Olympian, she’s got all the accolades. She’s from Louisiana, so she’s going to take care of Monique. They’re expecting big things out of Monique. She could fit right into their system. Some of the things they do are the same things we do.&uot;