Duke sophomore guard Tre Jones will enter his name in the 2020 NBA Draft.
The 2020 ACC Player of the Year, Jones ranked sixth in the ACC in scoring (16.2), second in assists (6.4), fourth in assist/turnover ratio (+2.4), sixth in steals (1.8) and 11th in field goal percentage (.423).
The early assessment on Jones, a 6’3”, 185-pounder, has him landing in the back half of the first round of the draft.
His strength: defense, as the 2020 ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
The knock: shooting. Jones actually improved from deep from his freshman year, when he shot 26.2 percent from long-range, connecting on 36.1 percent of his shots from behind the arc in 2019-2020, which actually isn’t all that bad.
Jones also does a nice job getting into the paint. According to Hoop-Math.com, Jones shot 54.0 percent at the rim, and a healthy 29.5 percent of his field-goal attempts were at the rim.
“He’s been the heart and soul of our program over the last two seasons, and it’s been a joy for me to watch him develop as a player and leader,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “There aren’t many as competitive as him, and I know the best is yet to come. I want to thank Tre for being such a pleasure to coach, and I wish him nothing but the best as he pursues his NBA career.”
Jones noted the one thing missing from his resume: a national championship.
The younger brother of Tyus Jones, who won a national title as a freshman in 2015, had a national championship as his “main goal.”
“I can’t think about what didn’t happen, I can only think about what did happen,” Jones said. “What did happen was the amazing experiences and relationships I gained with my brothers, the knowledge I received from Coach K and all of the Duke staff to become a better player and person, and the endless support from the Crazies and all the Duke fans. Duke has taught me what it means and what it takes to be the best at what I do. My journey is just getting started. As I look to begin my career at the next level I will always and forever cherish everything Duke.”
Story by Chris Graham
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