BIG EAST TOP TWO-GUARDS 2008-2009: 4) DOMINIQUE JONES

November 11, 2008


As a freshman, Dominique Jones showed he knew how to put the ball in the basket at a terrific rate. The 6-foot-4 freshman guard from lake Wales (FL) took the Big East by storm as he averaged 17 points on the season to lead the South Florida Bulls.

Jones was even better in the Big East, averaging 18.2 points a game and that included seven games of 20 points or more. His season-high of 31 game at Seton Hall and he also had back-to-back 30 point outings against UCF and Richmond in December.

A high-octane scorer definitely will help the college basketball odds of Stan Heath's ball club in 2008-2009. it is still a tough climb for the Bulls, but they have been adding pieces on the perimeter to give Jones some help this year. The mid-season additions of former Georgia guard Mike Mercer and freshman big man Augustus Gilchrist will greatly upgrade the Bulls talent level.

Jones shot an adequate 46% last season from the floor. He is not a great three-point shooter, but making 54 as he shot 35% definitely keeps the defense honest. What Jones is very good at doing is using his strong build to get to the foul line. As a freshman, he attempted 162 free throws in 31 games, getting to the line more than 10 times on six different occasions.

As a sophomore, the word will be out more on Jones as the player to stop on the Bulls. With the graduation of Kentrell Gransberry, Jones will not have a proven inside presence teams have to account for. Seeing how Jones is able to adapt this season will be very interesting.