There was some speculation that Jones was still considering other options, as he took a visit to Xavier in the days following his Memphis visit. Jones’ commitment, however, obviously shuts that speculation down.
Additionally, some are worried that Jones may need a waiver to play for the Tigers next season, as this is his second time transferring schools. He transferred from DePaul to St. John’s last season.
However, sources confirm to Tiger Blueprint that Jones plans to graduate early, making him a grad transfer. This would obviously eliminate his potential need for a waiver.
How Jones Fits in with Memphis
The 6-foot-6 guard should fit in seamlessly with Penny Hardaway’s group.
The Tigers have been searching for a reliable wing scorer for the entire off-season, and Jones should be exactly that.
He averaged 13.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game for St. John’s last season. The year before that at DePaul, he put up 14.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. His assists numbers at St. John’s fell to just 1.6 per game.
Jones’ shooting also slightly declined last season. His field goal percentage dropped from 44.5% to 39.2%. His three-point numbers were basically the same, though. He went from 29.7% in 2022 to 29.4% in 2023.
Jones’ efficiency from three-point range obviously leaves a lot to be desired. In saying that, the talent at Memphis could give him the opportunity to improve those numbers. That’s exactly what it did for Keonte Kennedy last season.
Kennedy was a wildly inefficient player at UTEP, shooting 41.9% from the field and 31.9% from three-point range in his last season with the Miners. In his one year at Memphis, though, those numbers improved to 46.1% from the field and 38.1% from three-point range. Kennedy transferred to California-Berkeley after the season.
Based off both history and Jones’ talent, he should have his most efficient season yet offensively at Memphis in 2023-24.
Jones has also proven to be a good defender throughout his collegiate career. The Dominican Republic native averaged 0.4 blocks and 1.3 steals per game last season, and put up 1 block and 1.7 steals per game the year before that. He also averaged 5.6 and 4.5 defensive rebounds per game in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
What’s Next for the Tigers?
With Jones now officially in the fold, Memphis’ roster for 2023-24 is nearly complete.
However, the latter looks to be as drawn out as ever heading into Mikey Williams’ June 29 preliminary court hearing.
“There are no updates,” Hardaway said while meeting with the media this morning. “We’re just waiting to see how this thing plays out, just like everyone else.”
Senior Editor for Tiger Blueprint. See more of my work on Bluff City Media, where I’m the Memphis basketball beat writer, the Men in Hoodies podcast on Apple and Spotify and on “Sports with Roman Cleary” live on University of Memphis Radio—The ROAR Fridays from 3-4 p.m. during the fall and spring.
