Matt Jones

"His range extends past the stripe and his release is quick. To go with his long range shot, Jones has not only developed his one and two dribble pull-ups, but he has also turned himself into an impressive all-around scorer."

This is how Scout.com describes the exceptional shooter from the class of 2013. With his feet set, Jones can make defenses pay from almost anywhere on the court. Hitting three point shots with extreme efficiency is his forte, but he also has the ability to score off the dribble and make the extra pass when defenders run him off the line.

 

Profile:
Considered by many as best shooter in the class of 2013, Matt Jones is an extremely efficient shooter on the offensive end. Standing at 6'5" with a 6'7" wingspan, Jones has the prototypical build for a shooting guard giving him the ability to shoot over defenders, score in the paint and finish at the rim when necessary. As a junior, he averaged 18.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game and led Desoto High School to the regional finals of the Texas 5A state tournament. Jones continued to impress on the AAU circuit as he averaged 17.7 points per game and shot 48% from the 3 point line in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League. Ranked as the No. 36 overall player and the No. 8 shooting guard in his class by ESPN, Jones will be playing for Duke University next season.     

NBA Comparison:
With improvement to his ball-handling, shot creation, and defense Jones can easily be compared to Ray Allen. Both players are athletic enough to make plays in the open court and at the rim, but their specialty is definitely shooting. Hitting shots from all over the court with a consistent catch and shoot motion is something both of these players do best. With continued hard work, Jones will become one of the elite shooters in college over the next few years and may become a 3-point specialist at the NBA level.

 

Conclusion:
Look for Jones to become an essential part of Coach K's offense next year at Duke. His game should improve tremendously under Coack K's tutelage and his ability to shoot the ball consistently will make him vital part of the offense. Keep an eye out for Matt Jones as he will undoubtedly be one of the best shooters in the college game over the next few years.