This is the second installment of our summer "Getting to know" series on IU's 10 new players. Today, we focus on Verdell Jones, a 6-foot-4 180-pound guard from Champaign, Ill. Warning: this one is really long...
Behind Verdell 'Indiana' Jones The skinny on Verdell Jones III begins and ends with his torso. It's the first thing you notice when you see him gliding around the hardwood (more on this later). At 6-4, Jones has the kind of length that you rarely see in point guards and that would make Jay Bilas water at the mouth. A three-year starter at Champaign (Illinois) Central, Jones led his team to a 25-8 record his senior season and a third-place finish in the Class AAA Tournament. He was also named the Champaign News-Gazette Area Player of the Year.
The fact that Jones ended up at Indiana is a little bit of an upset. It wasn't exactly "Eric Gordon to Illinois," but a majority of recruiting analysts believed Jones was headed to Minnesota to become a Gopher. In April, around the time Tom Crean was hired, Jones said, "Minnesota and Kentucky are on the top of my list. They have been there the whole time and have shown me the most interest." In that interview he mentioned IU as a new suitor, but didn't seem particularly interested. But things changed and Jones eventually signed with the Hoosiers. Jones told Rivals.com he really liked Crean calling him a "young, enthusiastic coach" who could really push him to become a better play.
Jones has several connections to Champaign, home to that school coached by Bruce Weber. Jones' father, Verdell Jones Sr., is a prominent AAU coach in the area and was once linked to Illinois recruiting violations and allegedly steered players towards the school. Jones Sr. also mentored Shaun Livingston, another skinny Illinois point guard, for years. Read the story above for incredible detail.
On the floor Jones is projected as a point guard, but because of his length he could easily play the 2. Much depends on how Crean decides to utilize Jones, but expect to see a lot of VJ3.
As mentioned before, Jones is skinny and will need to bulk up to battle against gritty Big Ten guards. One story in The Pantagraph quoted Jones saying he's tried everything to gain weight. "I eat five, six meals a day. My dad says it will take time."
Verdell's 6-foot-4 and \0xBD wingspan should make up for his feathery build. He has already talked to IU's training staff about gaining weight. He's recognized as an above-average defender.
Offensively is where Jones could potentially thrive. He has a great pull-up jumper and has a knack of scoring in the paint. He isn't an incredible athlete, but with his length that shouldn't be a problem. He's a fairly good ball-handler and appears to be a good shooter. One concern is the drop-off in his statistics between his junior and senior season. One theory could be that defenses began to key in on him; another could be that he just didn't improve much.
How Jones fits in with the Hoosiers I would tag Jones as the likely starting point guard this fall. He's played in enough big high school and AAU games where he has some experience, and he has as much potential as anyone on IU's roster. Why not begin to groom your point guard of the future? I haven't seen him play in person, but after watching footage of Jones, he reminds me of Lewis Monroe with a jump shot. I think Jones will be called on to do a lot of scoring for the Hoosiers next season, despite some of his inefficiencies. Then again, I drank the Eli Holman Kool Aid last year, too.
People who know more than me on Jones "Indiana is getting a tall point guard who has an amazing ability to see the floor, create off the dribble and he's an excellent shooter, too." - Champaign Central coach Scott Davis to the Indy Star
"Verdell is an excellent addition to our recruiting class. He is a great floor leader with a tremendous ability to direct an offense and he also has the ability to make plays on his own. His wingspan will make him a tough defender and we like the fact that he as played in so many big game environments in high school and AAU ball that he will be able to compete for our program right away. We are very excited about his upside." - Tom Crean
"[Verdell] Jones has very good size for the combo-guard slot and easily creates offense for himself. Jones has the ability to connect from deep on his jumper, easily knocking down jumpers from well beyond 3-point land. When he spends time at the point, he needs to do a better job of involving his teammates and passing, though he has decent vision and passing ability. Jones will have to add strength and muscle to his frame in order to better deal with the physical pounding he will endure on the next level which will also help him develop into a better, more consistent shooter in addition to enhancing his defensive abilities. Jones has good amount of untapped potential and should develop under Crean's tutelage at IU." - ESPN Recruiting Coordinator Antonio Williams
"Scoring guard with outstanding basketball knowledge and instincts... amazing court vision... great set 3-point shot and is good at pulling up off the dribble from midrange area." - Midstatehoops.com
The numbers don't lie... '07-'08: 17.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 6.5 apg. 46.8% from the field, 31% from 3-point range and 75.3% from the free-throw line. '06-'07: 18.6 ppg, 4 rpg, 9 apg * Finished his high school career with 602 assists, good enough for sixth all-time in Illinois history.
Jonesing for more? * In case you haven't seen it: Jones once hit an 80-foot shot as an 8th grader. Call it blind luck or incredible skill, the video clip is pretty impressive. * Another great clip: Verdell holding his own against NBA Lottery Pick Jerryd Bayless in a high school game. Jones finished with 28 points and eight assists while Bayless had 30 and 5. * More YouTube? Sure. Check out Jones going up against fellow IU recruit Matt Roth. There are a billion clips, best of luck navigating them. * Jones is familiar with a few of his future teammates. Outside of battling Roth, he also played against Nick Williams in the Springfield Shootout in Missouri and has seen Tom Pritchard play. * Verdell is a family name: Verdell's name is: Verdell Jones III, not junior. * Facebook is always a good judgment of character. Verdell is a Weezy F. Baby fan, loves Family Guy and Good Fellas and likes to read the Bible. He also thinks Mark Cuban should buy the Cubs and is a member of the Verdell Jones Fan Club. * Finally, props to our loyal reader Eline, who pointed out the obvious (but clever) nickname: Verdell 'Indiana' Jones. Start printing those t-shirts.
Check back for our next featured Hoosier, Tom Pritchard.
