UK Basketball Preview – #3 Terrence Jones

#3  TERRENCE JONES – F

FR  6’8  244

Jefferson High School

Portland, OR

BEFORE UK:

One thing you can say about Terrence Jones is that he is a proven winner as he led his Jefferson High School to three consecutive state titles.  During his senior season, he was a McDonald’s All American and averaged 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists.  He averaged 32 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists as a Junior and was named “The Oregonian’s” 5A Player of the year twice.  Terrence was one of the top players in the country his senior season and was rated as the 8th best player by Scout.com, the 9th by ESPN, and 13th by Rivals.com.

FROM ESPN:

"Jones is the best player and prospect on the west coast for the class of 2010. The lengthy lefty is a hybrid 4-man that can hurt the defense in a variety of ways. His frame is terrific and he possesses Lamar Odom-like skills. He handles the ball very well in the open court and may be the best passer, for his size, in the country. He punishes defense with his dribble penetration and is very unselfish. He can finish with a variety of shots and is an excellent slasher as well. In the half court set he utilizes the pump fake to get his defender off balance, but he does settle too much for the 3-point shot. Although he has made a number of 3s during his senior campaign, the mechanics of his shot need an overhaul. He winds up too much (slow release) and his shot overall is very inconsistent. On the other hand, there are times-though not enough-where he ventures into the post to take advantage of his size and strength. With his hands and vision he could be a dominant post threat, but at this stage of his game, he likes to hang out on the perimeter more often than he should. Jones has a unique skill set and with proper coaching and attention to detail he could be a dynamite hybrid 4-man at the next level and beyond."

OH CANADA!

Unfortunately Terrence Jones did not get a chance to impress in Canada due to injuries.  He just played 9 minutes and scored 4 points.  Fortunately for Kentucky, Terrence has fully recovered from his injuries and is excited about the upcoming season.

WHAT TO EXPECT THIS SEASON:

Terrence has the potential to be one of the most exciting players at Kentucky because of his specific skill set.   At 6’8, Jones has the skills of a PG, and conceivably could play any of the first four positions.   Jones is an athlete that is well suited for Calipari’s DDMO offense and could be part of the much hyped “four guard offense” Kentucky may play at times this season.  In the perfect scenario, Enes Kanter will be available as the lone post option and Jones will be free to roam the floor and execute the DDMO offense.  If Kanter is out for a few games or the season, I would expect Jones to play more of  a traditional post role to help out either Eloy Vargas or Josh Harrellson.  Jones is a player that can wreck havoc wherever he plays on the court and he is probably the one player I am most excited about seeing play.

Jones should step into the starting lineup at the “4” position and should be an impact immediately.  Technically his position was as a SF in high school but he should have no trouble moving over.  Scoring wise, I think it is to expect between 12-15 points a game with 8 rebounds a night.  This of course, just an average.  Jones is fully capable of scoring 20-25 on any given night and could have regular double doubles with either rebounds or assists.

CAL ON  TERRENCE

“Terrence is perfectly suited for our dribble-drive offense. He’s a lefty that can score inside and out on the perimeter. His ability in open space is what makes him a special player. He should be a tough matchup for opposing defenders.”

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