TYUS JONES BASKETBALL
Year: Freshman
Age: 14
In sixth grade, Jones asked himself a bold question. "What if I could play on varsity as an eighth-grader?'' he said. Many chuckled when he dared to think it out loud, but no one is laughing anymore. The 6-foot wunderkind guard is one of the nation's best for his age group. He skipped a few competitive levels and jumped from traveling basketball to the varsity lineup, a rare leap.
He didn't just warm the bench, either.
Jones averaged 16 points, nine assists and three steals per game in leading Apple Valley to a 20-8 record. Last month, he received a college offer to play at Iowa. In October, he was invited to try out for the U.S. National 16-and-under team. He did well enough to earn a callback in June.
"The experience was phenomenal,'' he said. "It is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing when the top players in the country get together. You are excited, happy, nervous and determined. When the top players are on the same floor, there aren't any room for errors. You have to play your best on every possession. These are people that compete at a high level and people that don't want to lose. I think I did well. I tried to play my game and get everyone involved.''
Jones' game is all about making plays and finding the open teammate.
"I have a knack for passing,'' he says. "If you are open, I will get you the ball so you can shoot. I promise.
"There are a lot of people that can score buckets, but not everyone can create a scoring play where all of your teammates are involved. That makes the game a whole lot of fun.''
Despite his youth, Jones has become a floor leader.
"It's hard to be a court leader when you are so young,'' he said. "I know that, but I still want the responsibility. It took some convincing for coaches, teammates and fans to believe that I could be a leader. I hope I turned the skeptics into believers.''
College coaches frequently attend his games and practices, even in the offseason. While he is flattered by the attention, he wants to focus on academics.
"I stay grounded by being humble because that's who I am,'' he said. "I just need to keep working hard in all parts of my life. School is the main focus right now. I have to keep getting good grades if I want anything else to come. I won't be tempted to stray. I have to keep a level head.''
