Jones family feels the emotion Friday night

Never has a family from Champaign, Ill., enjoyed basketball in Bloomington so much.

Then again, most people from that area don’t have a son who plays point guard for the Hoosiers.

One by one, the Hoosiers’ 12 new players were introduced to an anxious Assembly Hall crowd Friday night. Sitting in the bleachers behind the scorer’s table were two people in particular who couldn’t wait for the night’s festivities to begin. Their son’s Facebook status read, “Today is the day!” and they had just made a three-hour drive to see that son take the Assembly Hall floor for the first time in an IU jersey.

Proudly wearing custom-made No. 12 jerseys with “V’s Dad” and “V’s Mom” on the back, Verdell Jr. and Sheila Jones watched their son jog onto the floor for the first time.

Looking back on it an hour later, Verdell Jones Jr. admitted, “I was just trying not to cry.

“I’m just so proud of the fact that he has the opportunity to wear the Cream and Crimson and the candy stripes,” he said. “I was just trying not to be sissy and not to cry.”

Verdell Jones Jr. wasn’t the only family member who felt a little emotional at Hoosier Hysteria. His son, Verdell Jones III, scored the first basket in the team’s scrimmage.
“It gave me chills for the first five minutes playing on Assembly Hall’s floor,” the younger Jones said after the game.

Some of that nervous energy was evident. While the younger Jones did have a couple of highlights – most notably a dime that split two defenders to Nick Williams for an easy layup – he struggled as well. At one point, he missed everything on a pull-up 3-pointer and drew the ire of IU coach Tom Crean, who has stressed shot selection in press conferences this preseason.

But the scrimmage was more practical than practice. Following the game, many players and their families took the floor for photo-ops, including the Jones family, who watched their son sign autographs and mingle with fans.

“It was an amazing feeling. We’ve waited a long time for this night to come,” Sheila Jones said. “I was so excited, and now I’m ready for this season. I can’t wait to see what they can do this year.”

Despite the three-hour drive, Verdell Jr. and Sheila Jones said someone would come down to watch every one of their son’s home games this season. The elder Jones, an AAU basketball coach in Illinois, said he hopes to see big turnouts inside Assembly Hall.

“The tradition speaks for itself,” he said. “And a lot of people who are not here need to get on board now. Because if you go to other places around the country, like Fogg Allen Fieldhouse for late night, no matter what, it was packed. I expect the same thing here.”

By the time Hoosier Hysteria ended Friday night, it was almost midnight. Players, families and fans slowly made their way out of the building. But after getting a taste of IU basketball, the elder Jones said he would be back.

“It’s just such a pleasure and an honor for me and my wife to see our son accomplish this and play at such a prestigious university,” he said. “It’s just a blessing.”