Joseph Jones (basketball player)
Encyclopedia
Joseph CostelloReshawn Jones (born March 21, 1986 in Normangee, Texas
) is an American
basketball
player. He played college basketball
at Texas A&M University
during college years (2004–2008). From the season 2008-09 plays at Oyak Renaul Bursa in the Turkish Basketball League
.
As a sophomore, junior, and senior at Normangee High School, Jones was a first-team All-State pick. Averaging 22.4 points and 15.1 rebounds in his senior year, Jones led his school to a 37-2 record, winning their final 23 games. The team earned a trip to the Class A Division I championship game where Jones was named the most valuable player in the title game, with 21 points, 17 rebounds, and 5 blocked shots. Jones was ranked as the Number 86 prospect in the country by HoopScoop and the 12th best post prospect by Rivals.Com.
Jones was recruited by Kansas, Texas
, University of Arkansas
, and Texas Tech
, but signed a National Letter of Intent to play at Texas A&M University
under coach Melvin Watkins
.
, Aggies coach Melvin Watkins was forced out, with former University of Texas El Paso coach Billy Gillispie
taking over the program. Jones chose to honor his commitment and made an immediate impact at A&M, scoring 10 points and making 10 rebounds in his college debut against North Carolina AT&T University. Jones, who started in all 31 games, ranked second on the team in scoring with 12.7 points per game and dunks (18) and led the Aggies in rebounding (7.3), field goal percentage (.577), blocked shots (39), and three-point plays (16). He posted seven double-doubles, the most by a Big 12 freshman, and scored 10 or more points 23 times, also setting the A&M freshman record by completing 103 free throws. His performance earned him honorable mention All-Big 12 honors and a place on the Big-12 All-Freshman team, with CollegeInsider.Com also naming him to their Freshman All-America team.
With a then-career-high twenty-five points, Jones led the Aggies to a win against Clemson
in the first round of the NIT
.
Jones ranked in the conference's top 10 in scoring and rebounding, despite averaging fewer than 30 minutes per game. His performance earned him consensus second-team All-Big 12 honors, and he was named to the second-team Academic All-Big 12.
The Aggies earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1987. The Aggies won their first-round match-up against Syracuse
and appeared poised to reach the Sweet 16 when, with 18 seconds left in their second-round game against LSU
, the Aggies went up 57-55. The dream was dashed fifteen seconds later, however, when Glen Davis
completed a three-point shot for LSU.
, was named to the John R. Wooden pre-season top 50 All-American watch list, and the team received a Number 13 rank in the pre-season AP poll, The Aggies have ranked as high as Number 6, the highest rank the school had ever achieved. The team had their best start since opening 16-2 in the 1959-1960 season, as well as their best conference opening since the inception of the Big 12.
After suffering knee problems throughout non-conference play, Jones has been a big part of the Aggies' successful 2006-2007 season, averaging 13.2 points per game and a team-best 6.4 rebounds per game. Despite a cramp in his calf that kept him out of most of the second half of the game against Iowa State
, Jones still scored 21 points. Jones is an aggressive player, however, and also leads the team in fouls, averaging 3.4 per game and fouling out of five games.
The Aggies have been consistently ranked in the top 10 throughout this season. In a historic moment on February 3, 2007, Jones's Aggies became the first Big 12 South team (in 32 attempts) to ever beat the then-Number 6 Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse
. Two days later the team earned a 100-82 victory over their archrivals, then-Number 25 Texas, their twenty-first straight home win, making them the sole leader of the Big 12.
Although the Aggies were the number two seed for the Big 12 Conference Tournament, they played poorly in their first game in the quarterfinals of the tournament and were eliminated in a loss to Oklahoma State.
On Selection Sunday, however, the Aggies were rewarded for their regular-season play with a Number 3 seed in the South region of the 2007 NCAA Tournament
. In their first-round game against Penn, Jones finished with a double-double, 14 points and 11 rebounds. He energized the team in the second half, scoring two dunks in less than a minute to give the Aggies the lead. The Aggies won 68-52 to advance to the second round of the tournament.
In front of an unfriendly crowd during a tough second-round game against Louisville, Jones scored twelve points and had eight rebounds and three steals. The Aggies's 72-69 victory earned them a berth in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1980.
player D. J. Augustin
, was featured on the front cover of the November 15, 2007 issue of Sports Illustrated
. Jones graduated from A&M a semester early.
2008 Summer League. The team had a 12-man roster and was coached by Rockets assistant coach Elston Turner
. The team played five games against other NBA teams from July 14–20, 2008.
. He's averaged 32.2 minutes and 13.9 points per game being the second top-scorer of the team during this season.
Normangee, Texas
Normangee is a town in Leon and Madison Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 719 at the 2000 census.-History:The Railroads were pushing the frontier westward and the Trinity and Brazos Valley and the Houston and Texas Central were built between Houston and Dallas in 1904-1905...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball
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. He played college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
at Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
during college years (2004–2008). From the season 2008-09 plays at Oyak Renaul Bursa in the Turkish Basketball League
Turkish Basketball League
The Turkish Basketball League is the top men’s professional basketball league in Turkey, which is also called Turkish Premier Basketball League . There is also a Turkish Second Basketball League consisting of 2 divisions .-History:The first basketball game played in Turkey was at the Robert...
.
Early years
Jones was born March 21, 1986 to D.C. Nealey and Betty Jones in Normangee, Texas.As a sophomore, junior, and senior at Normangee High School, Jones was a first-team All-State pick. Averaging 22.4 points and 15.1 rebounds in his senior year, Jones led his school to a 37-2 record, winning their final 23 games. The team earned a trip to the Class A Division I championship game where Jones was named the most valuable player in the title game, with 21 points, 17 rebounds, and 5 blocked shots. Jones was ranked as the Number 86 prospect in the country by HoopScoop and the 12th best post prospect by Rivals.Com.
Jones was recruited by Kansas, Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
, and Texas Tech
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
, but signed a National Letter of Intent to play at Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
under coach Melvin Watkins
Melvin Watkins
Melvin Lenzo Watkins is an American college basketball coach and former player. He is an assistant coach under Mike Anderson at the University of Arkansas. He has also been the associate head coach at the University of Missouri...
.
Freshman year
Before Jones arrived in College StationCollege Station, Texas
College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...
, Aggies coach Melvin Watkins was forced out, with former University of Texas El Paso coach Billy Gillispie
Billy Gillispie
Billy Clyde Gillispie , also known by his initials BCG, is an American college basketball coach. Since 2011, he has been the current head coach of the men's basketball team at Texas Tech University...
taking over the program. Jones chose to honor his commitment and made an immediate impact at A&M, scoring 10 points and making 10 rebounds in his college debut against North Carolina AT&T University. Jones, who started in all 31 games, ranked second on the team in scoring with 12.7 points per game and dunks (18) and led the Aggies in rebounding (7.3), field goal percentage (.577), blocked shots (39), and three-point plays (16). He posted seven double-doubles, the most by a Big 12 freshman, and scored 10 or more points 23 times, also setting the A&M freshman record by completing 103 free throws. His performance earned him honorable mention All-Big 12 honors and a place on the Big-12 All-Freshman team, with CollegeInsider.Com also naming him to their Freshman All-America team.
With a then-career-high twenty-five points, Jones led the Aggies to a win against Clemson
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
in the first round of the NIT
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
.
Sophomore year
As a sophomore, Jones started in all of the team's games, averaging 15.3 points and a team-best 6.5 rebounds. In on of his most impressive games of the season, Jones scored 31 points against the University of Texas, the most points an Aggie had scored in Austin since 1963. In that game he tied two Big 12 records, one for field goals in a half, making 9 of 11 second-half field goal attempts, as well as for most consecutive shots, making nine straight shots to end the game. Jones also made the game-winning shot against Oklahoma State, completing an 8-foot jumper with one second remining. The Aggies lost their rematch against Oklahoma State despite Jones's 27 points. Against North Texas, Jones scored a career-high 35 points and had a career-high 13 rebounds.Jones ranked in the conference's top 10 in scoring and rebounding, despite averaging fewer than 30 minutes per game. His performance earned him consensus second-team All-Big 12 honors, and he was named to the second-team Academic All-Big 12.
The Aggies earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1987. The Aggies won their first-round match-up against Syracuse
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
and appeared poised to reach the Sweet 16 when, with 18 seconds left in their second-round game against LSU
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
, the Aggies went up 57-55. The dream was dashed fifteen seconds later, however, when Glen Davis
Glen Davis (basketball)
Ronald Glen Davis , commonly known as Glen Davis and by his nickname Big Baby, is an American basketball player who last played for the NBA's Boston Celtics...
completed a three-point shot for LSU.
Junior year
Expectations were raised for Jones's junior season, when Jones, along with teammate Acie Law IVAcie Law IV
Acie Law IV is an American professional basketball player who plays for KK Partizan in Serbia. In his four seasons at Texas A&M University, Law scored 1,653 points and was credited with 540 assists...
, was named to the John R. Wooden pre-season top 50 All-American watch list, and the team received a Number 13 rank in the pre-season AP poll, The Aggies have ranked as high as Number 6, the highest rank the school had ever achieved. The team had their best start since opening 16-2 in the 1959-1960 season, as well as their best conference opening since the inception of the Big 12.
After suffering knee problems throughout non-conference play, Jones has been a big part of the Aggies' successful 2006-2007 season, averaging 13.2 points per game and a team-best 6.4 rebounds per game. Despite a cramp in his calf that kept him out of most of the second half of the game against Iowa State
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
, Jones still scored 21 points. Jones is an aggressive player, however, and also leads the team in fouls, averaging 3.4 per game and fouling out of five games.
The Aggies have been consistently ranked in the top 10 throughout this season. In a historic moment on February 3, 2007, Jones's Aggies became the first Big 12 South team (in 32 attempts) to ever beat the then-Number 6 Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse
Allen Fieldhouse
Allen Fieldhouse is an indoor arena at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. The arena, named in honor of Dr. Forrest C. "Phog" Allen, who coached the university's men's basketball team for 39 years, is one of college basketball's most historically significant and prestigious buildings...
. Two days later the team earned a 100-82 victory over their archrivals, then-Number 25 Texas, their twenty-first straight home win, making them the sole leader of the Big 12.
Although the Aggies were the number two seed for the Big 12 Conference Tournament, they played poorly in their first game in the quarterfinals of the tournament and were eliminated in a loss to Oklahoma State.
On Selection Sunday, however, the Aggies were rewarded for their regular-season play with a Number 3 seed in the South region of the 2007 NCAA Tournament
2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 NCAA schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2006–07 basketball season...
. In their first-round game against Penn, Jones finished with a double-double, 14 points and 11 rebounds. He energized the team in the second half, scoring two dunks in less than a minute to give the Aggies the lead. The Aggies won 68-52 to advance to the second round of the tournament.
In front of an unfriendly crowd during a tough second-round game against Louisville, Jones scored twelve points and had eight rebounds and three steals. The Aggies's 72-69 victory earned them a berth in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1980.
Senior year
Jones, along with Texas LonghornsTexas Longhorns men's basketball
The Texas Longhorns men's basketball team represents The University of Texas at Austin in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Longhorns currently compete in the Big 12 Conference....
player D. J. Augustin
D. J. Augustin
Darryl Gerard "D. J." Augustin, Jr. is an American professional basketball player. He played point guard for the University of Texas Longhorns from 2006–2008. He was drafted ninth overall by the Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association in 2008...
, was featured on the front cover of the November 15, 2007 issue of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
. Jones graduated from A&M a semester early.
Professional career
After his college career, Jones joined the Houston RocketsHouston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
2008 Summer League. The team had a 12-man roster and was coached by Rockets assistant coach Elston Turner
Elston Turner
Elston Howard Turner is a retired American professional basketball player and current assistant coach and defensive coordinator for the NBA's Phoenix Suns.-Playing career:...
. The team played five games against other NBA teams from July 14–20, 2008.
Turkish Basketball League
In the season 2008-09 has been playing at Oyak Renaul Bursa in the Turkish Basketball LeagueTurkish Basketball League
The Turkish Basketball League is the top men’s professional basketball league in Turkey, which is also called Turkish Premier Basketball League . There is also a Turkish Second Basketball League consisting of 2 divisions .-History:The first basketball game played in Turkey was at the Robert...
. He's averaged 32.2 minutes and 13.9 points per game being the second top-scorer of the team during this season.