Perry Jones, future Baylor Bear

Only a couple days after finding out who Perry Jones is, i.e. the third ranked basketball recruit in the nation, and a future Baylor Bear, I walked into the Grand Prairie gym to watch Cousin Jacob play basketball, and ... what the (?!) ... thats Duncanville and PERRY JONES warming up down at the far end of the court! Alright! I was psyched. And Perry Jones did not disappoint.

Before beginning: Cousin Jacob did not disappoint. I've seen him play half a dozen times, and his court savvy is a pleasure to watch. He's a forward who can shoot it and dish it. When he's on the court, he is THE leader of his team. They all look to him during tough moments. Kudos, Jacob.

Perry Jones

First, his demeanor was excellent. Duncanville won big, yet Perry Jones did not taunt. He was classy and dignified throughout. He gave good effort.

Second, Perry Jones did not hog the ball. He played within Duncanville's system; supported and cheered on his teammates. He dished. He moved inside the offense.

Third, Perry Jones is amazing: he is 6'10"ish, yet can do everything. He played in the post, yet showed an outstanding stroke from 17 feet and from 21 feet. At one point, he thought about launching from 23 feet, then thought better of it. His shot has a natural high arc, making it difficult to block.

Perry Jones' versatility and skills reminded me, really, of Detlef Schrempf. Perry handles it like Paul Pressey: once leading a break up the middle of a crowded court, and no one was going to take it from him: the ball was on a string. Perry dishes it like Detlef; blocks shots like Kirilenko. Perry crosses over his dribble like a guard: not high and sloppy, but tight - difficult for a defender to counter.

You put it together - the size, the dignified demeanor, the skills - how good can Perry Jones be? His defensive footwork, OF COURSE, needs work. EVERY high school kid needs work on defense. That said, I expect Perry Jones would start, next year, for any college in the nation. I expect he would be the featured player for many colleges. I expect an NBA team like the Mavs, who draft late in each draft, would happily give up, right now, a couple years of draft choices for the honor of making Perry Jones rich.

I don't know what kind of scorer Perry Jones will be. I don't know if he will be a dominant scorer, as dominant scorers must be aggressively selfish, and the Perry Jones I saw was consciously fitting in with his teammates. I don't know if Perry can dial up the aggression at will, or if he will always be a Detlef Schrempf style of glue player. Either way: the result will be good.

Perry Jones in summer 2009, at a Las Vegas Showcase. The first part of the video is a bunch of dunks which are kind of boring. For a taste of what I saw last night, watch the ball handling between 1:00 and 1:20 (and at 1:33). Then skip backwards and watch it again. I did.

You Tube shows another 2010 Baylor Recruit: Stargell Love.




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