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It is fitting that a man whose initials are “J.J.” possesses a lethal jump shot. James Jones, a senior point guard at Doylestown’s Delaware Valley College, devastated Division III opponents this year.
A Point Breeze native and a 2006 graduate of Edward Bok Technical High School, 1901 S. Ninth St., the speedster recently ended his collegiate playing career, but not before bringing his Aggies unprecedented success.
With Jones as their captain, the hoopsters won a school-record 17 contests, five more than last year, securing their best mark in his three campaigns. A Widener University transfer, the 23-year-old sniper averaged 20.9 points, 5.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds, catapulting his squad to nine conference victories. Those triumphs gave the team a share of the Freedom Conference’s regular-season title. With their school hosting a postseason game for the first time, the Aggies won their Feb. 23 semifinal against Wilkes University, 69-66, with Jones registering 22 points.
Three days later, they hosted the title game against DeSales University, the two-time defending conference conquerors. The occasion failed to intimidate the young men, as they won their first championship, racing to a 79-58 win that gave them the year’s largest margin of victory. Jones, who deposited a game-high 32 points, earned the tournament’s MVP honor.
The victory granted the 115-year-old school an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships — a program first. Its initial splash ended with a 93-63 loss to Virginia Wesleyan College March 4, with Jones achieving 20 points in the first-round tilt, his 15th game with at least 20.
“This year we really bought into coach [Casey] Stitzel’s system,” Jones said of the year’s fortune. “Plus, we knew we were talented, so our confidence grew as the season played out.”
For blending Stitzel’s instruction with his talent, Jones garnered eight recognitions. In addition to the MVP distinction, the 5-foot-10 ballhandler claimed the conference’s Player of the Year award, appeared on the conference’s First-Team unit, became an Eastern College Athletic Conference South First-Team All-Star, joined the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-Middle Atlantic Region’s First-Team, won a spot on the D3hoops.com’s All-Middle Atlantic Region’s First Team, earned a selection as a DIII News Fourth-Team All-American and landed D3hoops.com Honorable Mention All-American status.
“I am happy to have all of the honors, but I am most proud of being the Player of the Year,” the criminal justice major said. “Plus, the free-throw record.”
Jones holds the NCAA Division III record for consecutive made free-throws, ending the year with 66 straight conversions. His accuracy let him set the school standard for single-season foul-line successes with 189 and places him atop the school’s all-time list with 432 charity-stripe makes. His 586 points over 28 games gave him the institution’s top one-year effort and brought his career tally to 1,526 scores, good for fourth among all marksmen.
“I pride myself on being a smart point guard,” Jones said of the rapport that enabled him and his colleagues to become Delaware Valley’s most decorated bunch. “We developed trust in one another and pulled out some close games.”
Indeed they did accomplish the latter. The Aggies won eight of 11 games decided by five points or fewer, with Jones responsible for orchestrating the edgiest possessions.
“Playing in South Philly gave me toughness and the heart of a lion,” he said of being confident in a game’s waning seconds. “I think if you can play at a high level anywhere in Philly, you can play any place.”
Jones began reaching for an elevated plane by going undefeated as a junior varsity dribbler at Bok. In his junior year, his Passyunk Square band captured the Class AAA title.
“Basketball began as a hobby for me,” Jones, who nurtured his first love, football, at George W. Childs School, formerly at 1541 S. 17th St., said.
His hobby blossomed into an obsession courtesy of his success at Bok and his time with the Cory Irving All-Stars of the Amateur Athletic Union, with the second enabling him to team up with La Salle University’s Earl Pettis and Syracuse University’s Antonio “Scoop” Jardine, products of Ss. Neumann-Goretti High School, 1736 S. 10th St.
Shoulder surgery caused him to redshirt for a year, but he felt no lingering effects upon suiting up for the Aggies after moving on from the Widener Pride. Jones joined a program whose ’07-’08 mark of 3-22 included an 0-12 conference slate. The school split 26 games his first year and scored 12 victories from 25 games last season.
“We had a rough stretch last year, but we were ready for a real run this time,” he said.
That fruitful run has brought the team celebrity around campus and makes Jones confident he will impress scouts in July. That month, he will participate in two free agent camps for players from all three collegiate levels. The early part will find him in New Hampshire, while the middle stage will send him to Nevada.
“I’ll be looking to get stronger to prepare for the competition,” the resident of the 1500 block of South Mole Street said of what he plans to do following his graduation May 21. “I’ll be working on my defense, too. I scored a good amount of points, but I know the value of preventing scores, too.”
This season’s team triumphs came as no surprise to the three-year captain, and he sees individual accolades as reflections of committing himself to exploring his potential.
“Again, it’s that heart of a lion,” he explained.
He will place his professional basketball aspirations first upon finishing his schooling but yearns to made adequate use of his education. At Widener, he majored in psychology and social work. Not finding either upon flocking from Chester to Doylestown, he chose criminal justice as the course of study closest to his former pursuits. Realizing the vast opportunities he has received, Jones wants to give back by helping children.
“I’m not sure how I will help, but I want to work with kids,” Jones, who mentioned the School District of Philadelphia as a potential employer, said.
Known for his care with the ball, he is eager to continue to be a reliable distributor of assists.
ldquo;Kids need to know they have supporters,” he said. “It will be an honor to go from someone who’s received hope to someone who gives it.” SPR
Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124. Comment at www.southphillyreview.com/sports/features.
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