Duke basketball freshman Tre Jones has proven he is an elite floor general that can get others involved, but what he proved in Maui was that he can also be an aggressive scorer.
In Tre Jones‘ first three games of the 2018-19 Duke basketball season, he had scored a total of 16 points. He didn’t seem to look for his shot but instead looked to get others involved.
Jones assist-to-turnover ratio has been raved about this season. Taking care of the ball is one of his many strengths. He now has 33 assists and eight turnovers on the season. These kind of numbers are impressive for any point guard, let alone a freshman.
One of Jones’ other great strengths is his ability to provide aggressive on-ball defense. He guards his man the full length of the court and stays just close enough to make the opposing player uncomfortable.
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Once they are in the half court setting, Jones plays the passing lanes and makes it difficult for the offensive player to get the ball back. Because Jones plays the passing the lanes so well the opposing players usually catches the ball near half-court. Thus, taking the opposing team out of their offensive rhythm.
What fans have waited for this season is if Jones, like his older brother Tyus Jones, can be an aggressive scorer. Tyus was known for being a great shooter coming off screens and knocking down clutch shots in big moments. There’s a reason they call him Mr. Tyus Stones.
The Maui Invitational gave Duke fans flashbacks of when Tyus was on campus. Tre proved in Maui that he was able to be an aggressive scorer and look for his own shot. When Jones looks for his own shot it makes the defense have to respect yet another Duke player on the offensive end. He was able to score in double-digits in the Blue Devils‘ three games in Maui.
In the Blue Devils’ games versus San Diego State, Auburn, and Gonzaga in Maui, Jones scored 14, 10, and 17 points. These outings had Jones averaging 13.6 points in the tournament.
Jones showed off his ability to get into the lane and finish in many creative ways. Versus Auburn he showed the ability to weave through traffic and finish at the rim through contact.
The game versus Gonzaga is what really got Duke fans excited as Jones showed his ability to knock down the floater. Jones found his way into the lane on multiple occasions and would rise above the defender and knock it down with great touch. Not only did Jones knock down the floater, but he also found his spot around the free-throw line to elevate for a mid-range jumper.
Jones also helped the Blue Devils gain momentum in the second half. Perhaps the defining moment was when Jones made a coast-to-coast lay-up and proceeded to steal the inbounds pass and get fouled. Jones ran to the bench yelling, letting fans know they weren’t going away easy. Highlights of Jones versus Gonzaga can be found by Frankie Vision on YouTube.
Although Maui ended in a loss in the championship to Gonzaga, the Blue Devils have a lot of positives they can take away from this tournament. One being the aggressive scoring ability Jones provided throughout the three-game tournament stretch.
The Blue Devils get a few days off to enjoy Thanksgiving and reflect on their past games before taking on the Indiana Hoosiers on Tuesday, November 27 in the Big Ten/ACC challenge. This game will played in Durham at 9:30PM ET on ESPN.