Unselfish Jones becoming great defender

Last year, as the Tigers rolled to a SEC Tournament title, Jones averaged less than half that, posting 9.1 points and finishing as Auburn's fourth-leading scorer.

On Saturday, as Bruce Pearl's squad pulled off what he considers the biggest road win in program history, Jones finished with four points, making one field goal in 27 minutes on the court. His impact was still massive, though, as he played tough defense. More importantly, he played this solid defense without fouling.

That is what his head coach found most impressive about his effort.

"Well, it's interesting, because I remember it was either at Furman or against Florida Atlantic where Denver had some fouls," Pearl said. "But, you know, the art of not fouling and playing defense and playing hard — it's really an art. Particularly for Denver, I think he's one of the best defensive guards in the country."

It's not like Jones still can't fill out the stat sheet in the points section. In the season opener against Vermont, the New Market, Ala., native put up 16 points, shooting 83.3 percent (5-of-6) from the floor, including 2-of-3 from behind the arc. It's just that, unlike at FIU, he doesn't have to be the bonafide scorer for the Tigers, with Johni Broome, Chad Baker-Mazara, Chaney Johnson and several others being able to fill that role on any given night.

On Saturday, in the win against Houston, it was Broome and true freshman Tahaad Pettiford who lit up the scoreboard. That's just fine with Jones.

"He has just been so unselfish and such an amazing teammate," Pearl said.

And, as Pearl points out, his continued improvement at defense and his ability to play multiple positions have made his chances of playing at the next level even better.

"He has become a great defender, which is going to make him more attractive at the next level," the coach said. "We know what he can do offensively. He can shoot the basketball and get downhill. Now that he's playing some point guard, he's going to be a really good pro."