At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, hundreds of players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III or NAIA levels, and that number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class. Typically, we take a closer look at guys who are overlooked and underrated, and today’s edition will highlight Travon Jones of Bull City Prep and Mint Hill Lakers.
We’ve seen Jones countless times over the years, including most recently with the Mint Hill Lakers, where we stated, “While productivity comes naturally for most of the guys on this list, Travon Jones is someone who shows a consistent willingness to take a lesser role for the betterment of his team. His tough, rugged, unselfish two-way mentality allows him to make a ton of plays for this Mint Hill Lakers group. Jones defends, rebounds, battles on every possession, and can assume secondary ball-handling duties as needed. He’s a useful scoring option and capable passer, but doesn’t necessarily require the ball in his hands to make an impact. Though it might not be particularly “sexy,” Jones’ ability to embrace his identity and maximize his role should warrant college attention. “
Since then, Jones has only continued to further solidify his ability to coexist and produce within a structure full of college prospects. His willingness to do the dirty work and make hustle plays genuinely separates him from a ton of other unsigned seniors. Jones could probably assume more touches and offensive responsibility, but has an understanding of how to properly embrace his role in all facets of the game. He’s a quality defender, rebounder, and useful scoring option with the necessary IQ and toughness to make a lasting impact on both ends of the floor. Jones probably had one of his higher scoring totals this past weekend, and did so completely within the flow of the action. He gobbled up second-chance opportunities and capitalized whenever his number was called. It’ll be interesting to see which programs get involved with the scrappy two-way guard going forward.