CEDAR CITY, Utah - After two stellar seasons playing for Southern Utah, Tevian Jones contemplated turning pro; but, after missing the end of last season due to injury and not being able to compete in the Big Sky Tournament or SUU's run through The Basketball Classic, he decided that he had unfinished business, and opted to return to Southern Utah for a fifth and final season.
"I wasn't able to play in the conference tournament last year after I broke my wrist, so I really wanted to come back and have the chance to go to the NCAA Tournament and showcase my talent on a stage like that," said Jones.
Jones is originally from Chandler, Arizona and was a standout player at Culver City High School. He averaged an impressive 20.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game as a senior, while shooting 54 percent from the field for the season, leading Culver City to the Ocean League Championship. Jones was a consensus four-star recruit coming out of Culver City, and he opted to accept an offer from Big Ten program Illinois.
In his freshman season competing for the Fighting Illini, Jones appeared in 24 games, posting averages of 3.5 points and 1.4 rebounds per game throughout the season. He scored a season-high 18 points and grabbed four rebounds in Illinois's win over No. 13 Maryland at Madison Square Garden, draining 4-9 shots from three and six out of his 12 field goal attempts in the contest.
Jones was limited to 13 appearances during his sophomore season, recording season-highs of six points and three rebounds. He opted to enter the transfer portal at the conclusion of the season, seeking to find a better program fit for his style of play.
"It was mainly about playing time. When I was at Illinois, I wasn't necessarily getting as much playing time as I felt like I deserved, and so I felt like coming to Southern Utah would be the perfect opportunity to get on the court and really showcase my ability. The coaching staff was great, and I felt like we had the right players to do something special, and we were able to do that my first year here."
Jones had a phenomenal first season playing for the Thunderbirds, as he averaged a team-high 16.9 points per game while adding in 4.5 rebounds, as well as knocking down 42.4 percent of his shots from the floor and 34.9 percent of his attempts from three-point range, becoming the first Southern Utah men's basketball player to earn First-Team All-Big Sky honors. Jones also helped lead Southern Utah to an overall record of 20-4 and their first-ever Big Sky Regular Season Championship, an accomplishment that Jones says has been the most memorable one of his career thus far.
"Winning that Big Sky ring was awesome. I had never won a ring before at the collegiate level, so that was definitely the most memorable moment of college for me so far."
Jones' favorite game of his career also came in his junior season, when he exploded for a 33-point outing to help Southern Utah defeat in-state foe Utah Valley on the road.
"If I had to pick one favorite game, it'd probably be that UVU game where we beat them at their place. I was just in the zone that game. I remember I hit a bunch of threes in a row, and that was definitely one of my favorite games."
During his senior season this past year, Jones once again had a stellar year with the Thunderbirds, posting averages of 14.6 points and 4.7 rebounds, while knocking down 31.1 percent of his three-point attempts and 81.3 percent of his shots from the free-throw line, earning Third-Team All-Conference honors at the conclusion of the season.
Jones' season was cut short as he broke his wrist against Montana State with two regular-season games left to play, in addition to the Big Sky conference tournament. The injury was a big reason why Jones chose to return to Southern Utah for a fifth and final season, instead of opting to begin his professional career.
Jones has huge expectations, not only for the Southern Utah men's basketball team this season, but also for himself.
"I want to focus on playing inside and getting to the rim more often this season. I also have a goal to average 20 points and 10 rebounds per game, and that's something I know that I'm capable of doing."
As far as team expectations, Jones knows that this group has the potential to be special this season.
"We need to focus on getting a strong chemistry going, which we have already done a good job with, and our main team goal is to win the Conference Championship and reach the NCAA Tournament."
Jones recognizes that a Conference Championship will be a difficult task in the WAC; but, he is excited for the opportunity to face superb competition and compete in a new league.
"I'm really excited for the WAC. It's going to be better competition, and I think everybody kind of sees us as smaller dogs and are counting us out, but I think we are going to surprise a lot of teams."
Going into his final collegiate season, Jones has started to recognize how much of an impact the Southern Utah basketball program has had on him as a player and a person. It has not only shaped his play on the court, but off the court as well.
"The coaching staff has had a big impact on me as a basketball player. They've always guided me in the right direction, motivated me, and shaped me as a player. Off the court, they've really helped me character-wise, making sure that my character is always on point, and that I'm doing the right things at all times. The coaching staff here is big on discipline, and that's been really good for me.
Jones' older brother, Torren Jones, has played in the NBA G-League and currently plays professional basketball overseas, so Jones talked about the competition between the two growing up and how that helped him develop his game from a young age.
"We played a ton of one-on-one throughout life, and he was always bigger than me from a young age. As we got older, it continued to get more competitive, and I'm able to beat him now, and we are always playing trying to get better."
Jones' favorite things about living in Cedar City are the scenery in the area and the proximity to home. Ater college, he hopes to play in the NBA, or whatever the best professional opportunity is for him. Jones is currently majoring in General Studies with an emphasis in Criminal Justice; so, down the road after his basketball career is over, he hopes to obtain a Master's Degree and work in criminal defense for individuals who were wrongly prosecuted.
Outside of basketball, Jones likes to watch movies and is a huge fan of Denzel Washington, and he likes to workout as much as possible.
Jones could have his best season yet in store for him this year, and he will look to take on a leadership role and help Southern Utah achieve a WAC Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance during his final season competing for the program.
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