The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
RH’s Jones to play for NDC
Construction on the new high school in Richmond Heights left the Spartans’ basketball team without a home floor for the 201920 season. Alongside playing the entire season on the road, Richmond Heights split its practice time between gyms at the middle school and Notre Dame College.
The days the Spartans spent practicing in South Euclid also afforded the Falcons’ coaching staff the opportunity to watch potential prospects in the Class of 2020. As a result, senior wing Jevontae Jones found a home for his college years.
Jones committed to Notre Dame College May 16, due in part to the relationships he made with coach Mark Richmond and his staff while Richmond Heights practiced in the Falcons’ gym.
“The first practice, they started talking to me,” Jones said. “The first practice, I’m like, ‘Oh, I like how they’re coming after me,’ and stuff. The way they’ve been talking to me, they’ve been coming to a lot of games, they’ve been there from the beginning. I just felt like I had a good connection with them.”
Jones earned secondteam all-district recognition alongside News-Herald and All-Ohio honorable mentions as a senior. He averaged 12.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.6 blocks per game in helping the Spartans advance to a Division IV Canton Regional final prior to the state tournament’s cancellation.
A 6-foot-5 wing with long arms, Jones is a walking highlight reel between his ability to wreak havoc on the defensive end and attack the basket offensively. Such tenacity drew Richmond’s interest.
“They know I’m going to bring a different type of fire to the team,” Jones said. “How I play, I don’t take anything lightly. I like to give it my all, I’m going to play hard, no matter what.”
The Falcons compete at the D-II level in the Mountain East Conference. Notre
Dame College went 9-20 in the 2019-20 season, Richmond’s first with the program after former coach Tim Koenig accepted the head job at Fairmont State last summer.
Jones plans to study sports medicine and pursue a career as a physical therapist. He said his goals at Notre Dame College are to help the team win a championship and improve his game.
Jones arrived in Richmond Heights after spending his first two years of high school at Beaver Falls in Pennsylvania. He and his mother moved to Richmond Heights to live with
his stepfather.
When he entered the Spartans’ program, Jones was surprised — at first — by the intensity of practices run by coach Quentin Rogers and his staff.
“I just became a better player as time went on,” Jones said. “I got better and better, they had me doing different things I really didn’t do. I came into my game more and more, changed the way I play and everything.”
As Richmond Heights chased a return to the state final four, Jones’ game elevated during the tournament. A dunk in transition over a defender during the Norton District final against Rittman provided one of the area’s top highlights.
As it did for the rest of the student-athletes competing when the remaining winter tournaments were canceled, the abrupt end to Jones’ senior year stung. He and his teammates hoped to avenge last year’s state semifinal loss and leave Columbus with a state title.
“It was just getting going.” Jones said. “We just started catching a groove and the way things ended was kind of hard. We were there, I feel like we were going to get it this year.”