Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

UNLV basketball:

Jones eager to jump-start next step in his basketball career

Also, former Rebels Christian Wood and Anthony Bennett each sign two-year NBA deals

UNLV Battles With San Diego State

L.E. Baskow

UNLV forward Derrick Jones Jr. (1) stands dejected biting and wearing several towels as San Diego State takes a solid win for their game at the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday, January 30, 2016.

Derrick Jones Jr.’s career at UNLV came to a sudden stop, and an ill-timed injury has delayed a portion of his next step. But now that he’s been cleared to practice, the Chester, Pa., native is focused more on the future than the things that have kept him off the court.

“I’m not worried about it,” Jones said. “The coaches know what I can do and they believe in me. I feel as though I’m going to do well in training camp.”

Jones joined the Sacramento Kings Summer League team but has yet to make an appearance over four games because of a “minor procedure” that sidelined him for almost two weeks. Jones said he was cleared on Tuesday, and his last chance for any Summer League action is today at 1 p.m. as the Kings attempt to notch their first victory.

Even if he doesn’t play, Jones said he’s comfortable returning to the Cleveland area where he's been training to prepare for Kings training camp. In the months since he left UNLV’s campus, Jones has re-tooled his jump shot with a new form and arc, something he hopes can complement an elite dunking prowess.

“Everyone says I have NBA athleticism, but that’s not going to get me to the rim every time,” Jones said. “Everybody in the NBA is either your size or stronger, so I know I’ve got to get stronger too. I needed a jump shot to stretch the field a little bit more, because if they’re not coming out to guard me I’m not going to play.”

Jones averaged 21.5 minutes per game in his lone season at UNLV, ranking second on the team with 11.5 points while adding 4.5 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 0.9 steals per game. His production increased after the January coaching change, too, with four of his five 20-plus point games and five of his six 8-plus rebound games coming after Todd Simon replaced Dave Rice.

But Jones could only watch the final three games of the seemingly cursed 2015-16 season because four days before the regular-season finale the Rebels were informed that the NCAA nullified Jones’ ACT score. The investigation had been ongoing since June 2015 and primarily involved the tactics used at the particular Baltimore-area testing site where Jones and other athletes took their test.

The NCAA Eligibility Center cleared Jones in the fall, but as the season was winding down they changed their minds. Jones said playing for a new coach wasn’t a big issue for him, but further exploration into the impending NCAA battle didn’t make him optimistic.

“The ACT thing was the hardest thing because I didn’t think they were going to clear me,” Jones said. “… It seemed like I was going to have to sit out 16 games or 20-some games. Me personally, I knew I couldn’t do that.”

If that were how it played out, Jones would have missed the Rebels’ marquee nonconference games against Kansas, Duke and Oregon.

“Those are the games that I needed to play in to showcase my talents,” Jones said. “I feel as though I had to come out.”

Jones wasn’t invited to the NBA combine and went undrafted, but the 19-year-old is undeterred. Jones can still jump out of any gym in the country and with a clean bill of health he’s eager to get back to work on the other tools that could help him land a job.

“(Leaving) just made me mature faster and think smarter, because now I have to work a lot harder because you’re playing for a paycheck,” Jones said.

Former Rebels Wood and Bennett sign new NBA deals

Following a dominant run over two Summer League locations, Christian Wood has found a new home with the Charlotte Hornets while former No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett has another shot at redemption with the Brooklyn Nets. Both two-year deals were officially signed on Thursday.

Wood, 20, left UNLV after his sophomore season and went undrafted, eventually picking up with the Philadelphia 76ers but spending most of his time in the D-League. This summer as an unrestricted free agent, Wood stuck with the 76ers and played great in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, averaging 15.8 points and 5.7 rebounds in 17.7 minutes per game while shooting 56.7 percent over six games.

Wood’s second year will reportedly be a team option, so he once again must go out and prove himself. The same could be said for Bennett, 23, who is trying to shake the bust label after signing with his fourth team in four years.

The Brooklyn Nets inked the former Mountain West Freshman of the Year to a two-year deal that’s reportedly worth the veteran minimum, with only the first year fully guaranteed. Over his time with Cleveland, Minnesota and Toronto, Bennett has career averages of 4.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.

Taylor Bern can be reached at 948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.

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