Eshaunte Jones
Encyclopedia
Eshaunte "Bear" Jones is a college basketball
player, who decommitted from the Oregon State Beavers
. In June 2007, he announced his intention to pass on an oral commitment to Indiana University
. In October 2007, he announced his decision to attend Oregon State University
the following season after playing as a 5th year senior at Hargrave Military Academy
in Virginia. He would late de-commit from Oregon State after a coaching change. In June 2008, Jones signed financial-agreement paperwork with the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Because it was after the NCAA signing period, Coach Doc Sadler could not confirm at that time that he had accepted a scholarship. Once he cleared the NCAA clearinghouse process, he enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for the 2008 fall term. On March 31, 2011, Jones announced that he was leaving Nebraska to take care of personal things back in Indiana with his family .
in Fort Wayne, Indiana
, where he was ranked as one of the top players in the state from the class of 2007. As a sophomore, he led the North Side Redskins to the Class 4A Sectional 6 title with a victory over Snider High School. The following year, nearly the entire team returned as Jones led them to their first Summit Athletic Conference Title in seven years, culminated with a win over Bishop Luers High School in By Hey Arena. After the season, he was named an Indiana Junior All-Star.
As a senior, Jones orally committed to play for coach Kelvin Sampson at Indiana University
and then later in the day went on to score 37 points in his team's season opening scrimmage that night. He broke the school record for point in a single game twice in the first four games with 41 against Muncie Southside and 43 against Paul Harding High School in an overtime win. In December, he, alongside current (as of September 2010) Indiana University
wide receiver Damarlo Belcher and current University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
forward Dominic Moore, led the Redskins
to their first SAC Holiday Tournament Title since 1985 after losing in the finals the previous year. When the season ended, he averaged just under 28 points per game, finishing third in the state behind now former Indiana Hoosier and current Los Angeles Clipper Eric Gordon
and high profile college recruit Deshaun Thomas
, now of Ohio State.
Jones was named an Indiana Senior All-Star (the fifth in school history) before eventually de-committing from Indiana and choosing to spent a year of prep school at Hargrave Military Academy.
On the season, Jones hit 42.7 percent from the field, but it was his accuracy from beyond the arc that made opposing coaches take notice. Jones drained 43.5 percent from 3-point range while helping Nebraska set the school record by hitting 39.7 percent from long range as a team. Jones' proficiency shooting outside the arc helped him rank sixth on the Huskers' single-season 3-point percentage chart. His average was also the second-highest ever by a Husker freshman. On the year, he hit 40 3-pointers to rank second on the team while his total was the fifth-highest mark in the Nebraska freshman record book.
Jones' top performance came in the championship of the Las Vegas Classic when he scored 21 points, one of six double-figure scoring games on the season. He hit 6-of-11 shots from the field, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range, while adding three rebounds, two assists and a steal in 27 minutes off the bench. His 21 points made him one of just 23 freshmen in Nebraska history to record at least 20 points in a contest. In opening game of the tournament, Jones had 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting, all from 3-point range, in a victory over Tulsa, helping Jones earn all-tournament team honors.
On the year, Jones cracked the starting lineup twice, against UMKC and Kansas. Jones hit four three-pointers against the Jayhawks. Other games of note for Jones include a November 18 loss to Saint Louis where he had 9 points against former high school teammate Justin Jordan, who played for the Billikens, and also a December 12 game where he scored 4 points against Oregon State, a previous school of commitment. Jones missed the January 16 game against Iowa State, two days after the death of high school teammate Jeron Lewis, a basketball player at University of Southern Indiana
, who collapsed on the court and later died on January 14. His next game, against Missouri, he was scoreless in just 8 minutes of play.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player, who decommitted from the Oregon State Beavers
Oregon State Beavers
The Oregon State Beavers is a name shared by all sports teams at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. The Beavers are part of the Pacific-12 Conference . Oregon State's mascot is Benny the Beaver...
. In June 2007, he announced his intention to pass on an oral commitment to Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
. In October 2007, he announced his decision to attend Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
the following season after playing as a 5th year senior at Hargrave Military Academy
Hargrave Military Academy
Hargrave Military Academy is a private American boarding school located in the town of Chatham, Virginia.Hargrave is a school affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia emphasizing Christian values that focuses on a college and military preparatory program...
in Virginia. He would late de-commit from Oregon State after a coaching change. In June 2008, Jones signed financial-agreement paperwork with the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Because it was after the NCAA signing period, Coach Doc Sadler could not confirm at that time that he had accepted a scholarship. Once he cleared the NCAA clearinghouse process, he enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for the 2008 fall term. On March 31, 2011, Jones announced that he was leaving Nebraska to take care of personal things back in Indiana with his family .
High school career
Jones attended North Side High SchoolNorth Side High School (Fort Wayne, Indiana)
North Side High School is a secondary school in the Fort Wayne Community Schools system, serving the north central neighborhoods of Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States.- History :...
in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
, where he was ranked as one of the top players in the state from the class of 2007. As a sophomore, he led the North Side Redskins to the Class 4A Sectional 6 title with a victory over Snider High School. The following year, nearly the entire team returned as Jones led them to their first Summit Athletic Conference Title in seven years, culminated with a win over Bishop Luers High School in By Hey Arena. After the season, he was named an Indiana Junior All-Star.
As a senior, Jones orally committed to play for coach Kelvin Sampson at Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
and then later in the day went on to score 37 points in his team's season opening scrimmage that night. He broke the school record for point in a single game twice in the first four games with 41 against Muncie Southside and 43 against Paul Harding High School in an overtime win. In December, he, alongside current (as of September 2010) Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
wide receiver Damarlo Belcher and current University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is a historically black university located in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, United States. Founded in 1873, it is the oldest HBCU and the second oldest public institution in the state of Arkansas . UAPB is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund...
forward Dominic Moore, led the Redskins
Redskins
Redskins may refer to:* Redskin , a controversial term referring to Native Americans* The Washington Redskins, a United States football team* Redskin , a socialist or communist skinhead...
to their first SAC Holiday Tournament Title since 1985 after losing in the finals the previous year. When the season ended, he averaged just under 28 points per game, finishing third in the state behind now former Indiana Hoosier and current Los Angeles Clipper Eric Gordon
Eric Gordon
Eric Ambrose Gordon, Jr. , nicknamed "EJ", is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA. In high school, he was named "Mr. Basketball" of Indiana during his senior year while playing at North Central High School...
and high profile college recruit Deshaun Thomas
Deshaun Thomas
Deshaun Thomas graduated high school as a highly-regarded five-star player who verbally committed to play basketball in college for the Ohio State University Buckeyes when he was still a high school freshman. Thomas was also recruited by in-state powers Indiana University and Purdue University...
, now of Ohio State.
Jones was named an Indiana Senior All-Star (the fifth in school history) before eventually de-committing from Indiana and choosing to spent a year of prep school at Hargrave Military Academy.
Hargrave Military Academy (2007-2008)
Jones attended Hargrave Military Academy (Va.) for one season following high school. He played only a partial season because of a foot injury, but quickly made a name for himself. Jones averaged about 16 points and five rebounds per contest over the first 12 games of the 2007-08 season. His efforts helped Hargrave to a 12-0 start before the team continued on to an undefeated season with a 29-0 record, including winning the National Prep Invitational title. During the season, he signed a NLI with Oregon State.Oregon State
In 2008, it was uncertain if Jones would end up at Oregon State as they signed a new coach for the 2008-2009 season and sources said that he had asked out of his national letter of intent upon request. He was later granted the release from Oregon State and within a short time agreed to sign with Nebraska.True Freshman (2008-2009)
Jones sat out his true freshman season in 2008-2009 as a medical redshirt. He scored 16 points in 16 minutes in a preseason exhibition before the decision to sit out the season to fix a previous foot injury from his one season at prep school. Before the redshirt, he played just 46 minutes over the first four games of the season, including only four painful minutes against Saint Louis in his final game of the year. He scored seven points and hit just 2-of-7 from the floor, including 2-of-5 shots from 3-point range, over those four contests. Jones added five rebounds but had just one assist to four turnovers before deciding to sit out the remainder of the season.Redshirt Freshman (2009-2010)
Jones returned from a redshirt season when he had his left foot and a sports hernia surgically repaired and played in 29 games, averaging 16.9 minutes per contest in his first extended college action. Jones averaged 6.0 points and 1.6 rebounds per game while adding 1.0 assist per contest.On the season, Jones hit 42.7 percent from the field, but it was his accuracy from beyond the arc that made opposing coaches take notice. Jones drained 43.5 percent from 3-point range while helping Nebraska set the school record by hitting 39.7 percent from long range as a team. Jones' proficiency shooting outside the arc helped him rank sixth on the Huskers' single-season 3-point percentage chart. His average was also the second-highest ever by a Husker freshman. On the year, he hit 40 3-pointers to rank second on the team while his total was the fifth-highest mark in the Nebraska freshman record book.
Jones' top performance came in the championship of the Las Vegas Classic when he scored 21 points, one of six double-figure scoring games on the season. He hit 6-of-11 shots from the field, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range, while adding three rebounds, two assists and a steal in 27 minutes off the bench. His 21 points made him one of just 23 freshmen in Nebraska history to record at least 20 points in a contest. In opening game of the tournament, Jones had 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting, all from 3-point range, in a victory over Tulsa, helping Jones earn all-tournament team honors.
On the year, Jones cracked the starting lineup twice, against UMKC and Kansas. Jones hit four three-pointers against the Jayhawks. Other games of note for Jones include a November 18 loss to Saint Louis where he had 9 points against former high school teammate Justin Jordan, who played for the Billikens, and also a December 12 game where he scored 4 points against Oregon State, a previous school of commitment. Jones missed the January 16 game against Iowa State, two days after the death of high school teammate Jeron Lewis, a basketball player at University of Southern Indiana
University of Southern Indiana
The University of Southern Indiana is a public university in Vanderburgh County, Indiana. This publicly funded institution has been among the fastest growingcomprehensive state universities in Indiana. Record fall enrollment in 2010 reached 10,702...
, who collapsed on the court and later died on January 14. His next game, against Missouri, he was scoreless in just 8 minutes of play.
Bahamas Trip
Jones helped Nebraska go 4-0 on the Huskers' foreign trip in the 2010 preseason, averaging 7.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.Sophomore (2010-2011)
Jones saw a significant drop off in his contributions as a sophomore, averaging just 4 points/game (10th on the team). His total three pointers made (27-of-80) was still ranked third on the team, but his decrease in production also saw his minutes go down to just 12.4 per game over the 28 games he played. Jones did not start a single game, while averaging 1.4 rebounds and shooting just 33% from the field. Eshaunte led the team in scoring on two separate occasions, with 13 points against Jackson State on December 1 and 11 points against North Dakota on January 3. Both games were wins for the 19-13 Huskers. Nebraska's NCAA Tournament hopes were seemingly strong until a March 5 loss to Colorado, who also was left out from an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Nebraska played in the NIT Tournament, but fell to Wichita State in the first round, 76-49, with Jones scoring just three points in 6 minutes of play. Shortly into the offseason, Husker coach Doc Sadler was not quiet about his team's need to shoot the ball better , something that Jones was expected to lead the way in during his sophomore campaign.High School
- 2007 North Side Most Valuable Player
- 2007 Fort Wayne News Sentinel Player of the Year
- 2007 Fort Wayne Journal Gazette Player of the Year
- 2007 McDonald's All-American Nominee
- 2007 Basketball FortWayneBasketball FortWayneBasketball FortWayne was a monthly publication, with a print run of 5,000, that existed from 2006-2008. The publication was specific to covering basketball on the high school, college and professional levels in Fort Wayne, Indiana...
Co-Player of the Year - 2007 Indiana News Center Player of the Year
- 2007 Indiana All-Star
- 2007 Summit Athletic Conference First Team (Unanimous Selection)
- 2006-2007 Basketball FortWayneBasketball FortWayneBasketball FortWayne was a monthly publication, with a print run of 5,000, that existed from 2006-2008. The publication was specific to covering basketball on the high school, college and professional levels in Fort Wayne, Indiana...
Preseason Player of the Year - 2006 Fort Wayne News Sentinel All-Area Team
- 2006 Fort Wayne Journal Gazette All-Area Team
- 2006 North Side Most Valuable Player
- 2006 Summit Athletic Conference First Team
- 2006 Indiana Junior All-Star
- 2005 Summit Athletic Conference First Team
- 2004 Summit Athletic Conference Second Team