Age

21.0

Height

6'6"

Weight

207

Workload

MIN%

81.7

USG%

22.0

TS%

59.2

Per 70 Possession Stats

PTS

17.6

REB

6.2

AST

4.9

STL

1.6

BLK

0.6

TOV

2.7

Efficiency

RIM FG%

62.1

MID FG%

51.4

3PT FG%

38.2

FT%

67.0

Jump to full report

Report by: Will Morris

Colby Jones

Guard Xavier Musketeers

Physical, intelligent big guard with a deadly floater

Age

21.0

Height

6'6"

Weight

207

Per 70 Possession Stats

PTS

17.6

REB

6.2

AST

4.9

STL

1.6

BLK

0.6

Positions Defended

Offensive Role

 

Defensive Role

   

Meet Colby Jones

Colby Jones is a 6’6” wing headed into his Junior season at Xavier. The Birmingham, Alabama native caught eyes in his Freshman year, starting 11 games and averaging 7.7 points, 2.9 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game at just 18 years old. In year 2, Jones established himself as perhaps the most well-rounded player in the Big East, finishing top 3 on his team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals per game.

With new head coach Sean Miller and a plethora of transfers and recruits entering the fold, Xavier seems primed for a big year, and Jones has the chance to become a household name.

Offense

The descriptor “dribble-pass-shoot” is overused for wings, but it’s the general vision for Jones on the offensive end. The “shoot” is the big question here. Jones is a career 30.3% 3-point shooter (99 attempts) and 69.6% free-throw shooter in his two seasons for the Musketeers. He hit a major slump in conference play, making just 8 of his 37 threes against Big East opponents. He’s mainly limited to open spot-ups and the occasional semi-movement jumper, so shooting as poorly as he has on a relatively simple shot diet is worrisome.

But aside from his patchy shooting numbers, it’s hard to poke significant holes in Jones’ game. He’s decisive when attacking off the catch, using his long stride lengths to penetrate defenses. His deceleration as a driver is impressive, and he occasionally pulls out a killer spin move. On second-side pick-and-rolls and DHOs, Jones displays excellent patience, putting defenders in jail and getting to his in-between game.

Jones wins as a scorer with his well-developed floater game and ability to draw contact around the rim (.497 FTr). His soft touch from the mid-range (46.5% on long twos over the past two seasons) bodes well for his future projection as a long-range shooter.

Jones makes sound decisions when handling pick-and-rolls or operating DHOs. His size helps him see over defenders and capitalize on angles that smaller handlers lack access to. He’s also a cerebral off-ball passer, and his quick decision-making will allow him to thrive in low-usage roles. His deliveries are diverse, from lefty dump-offs with his back to the basket to slick righty swing passes along the baseline.

Even though his shooting numbers leave plenty to be desired, Jones still finds ways to impact the game without the ball in his hands. He’s an instinctual off-ball mover, excellent at finding soft spots in the defense. There’s some Nate Hinton in the way he crashes the offensive glass, somehow anticipating where the ball will bounce after bricked shots.

Defense

Jones derives most of his value off-ball, where he puts his excellent anticipation skills and strong hands to use at the nail and on the backline. His digs are timely and accurate, and his 2.7% and 1.7% steal and block rates both point to how disruptive he is.

There are blips of spaciness and over-helping away from the ball. In one of the clips below, he completely loses track of knockdown shooter Myles Stute. But in most of Jones’ weaker possessions, his mistakes relate more to overambition than low energy. Although he has some impressive moments as a chaser, I think that Jones is at his best in a Free Safety role, mucking up actions with his length and activity.

Jones’ strength stands out when defending in the post. He’s scrappy, unafraid to mix it up with brawnier players down low. He does a great job fronting and denying entry passes. His aggressiveness, positioning, and nose for the ball also help him on the defensive glass (16.5% offensive rebounding rate). This stout interior presence makes Jones a true defensive swiss-army knife. Is there a world where Jones can play stretches at the 4 without giving up an advantage on the inside?

Conclusion

Colby Jones offers a blend of skills, size, and smarts that NBA teams should crave, but we must see growth this year as a shooter. If he manages to develop into a consistent catch-and-shoot threat, it’s easy to see Jones becoming a high-end rotation wing.

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