Jones fully returns as Horns roll in opener
Guard treated for leukemia past two years scores career-best 20 as part of rotation
AUSTIN — After 6 minutes and 10 seconds had bled off the game clock, Texas redshirt sophomore Andrew Jones checked into Tuesday’s season opener against Northern Colorado.
No one made much of a fuss over his early entrance in the Longhorns’ 69-45 win over the Bears. That, in itself, was an incredible thing.
Just 23 months ago Jones, a rising second-year wing and vital cog for Texas, was diagnosed with leukemia. A return to Division I basketball, to operating at full power as the athletic finisher and floor spacer he was, would require so many agonizing hours of therapy and hospital visits and restless nights where the universe seemed his enemy.
It could’ve seemed an impossible mountain to scale. Many assessed the path ahead and balked.
Not Jones. He was willing to make the climb, which included a pair of appearances last season — 11 total minutes against Eastern Illinois and The Citadel — where the gaunt 6-foot-4 guard looked like a ghost of his previous self.
But on this night, one year after his mere appearance in an already-decided game was cause for rousing celebration, Jones made the improbable seem downright normal.
“It’s just crazy to see the journey that he’s been on,” UT sophomore guard Courtney Ramey said. “Andrew’s a great player, great scorer, great shooter. So the biggest thing for him is just getting in shape and carrying it over to the games. And I know he will because he’s a great competitor and has a great work ethic.”
Jones’ initial entry into the game didn’t launch the Erwin Center into some pulsating frenzy. But what he was able to accomplish later wasn’t lost on those who witnessed.
He showcased some of that classic quickness, sliding in front of Bears guard Rodrick McCobb to draw an offensive foul late in the first half. His back flat on the hardwood, Jones looked skyward and pumped his fists as fans and teammates clapped in appreciation.
“I was excited just when I entered the game,” said Jones, who scored a career-best 20 points to lead UT. “I had energy from the beginning. I know that (charge) gave the team a spark because we take a lot of pride in defense.”
A couple possessions later, Jones caught an outlet pass near midcourt, executed a partially obstructed Euro-step and floated in his first field goal in 673 days. At that, an arena rejoiced.
But it was in the second half that the Jones of old truly resurfaced for the first time.
He stopped on a dime and pulled up for an 8-foot jumper for Texas’ first bucket of the half, then used a screen from 7-footer Will Baker to weave around the defense and finish with a silky floater.
In the span of a minute, Jones really started cooking. A 3-pointer, a layup and another triple, all in succession, capped a 14-0 Texas run.
A few minutes later, Jones splashed another deep ball, turned on his heel and crouched low while flashing the universal sign for a made 3. It was the sort of magic you see in sappy sports flick — 21-year-old cancer survivor conquers the sickness and returns a hero.
But it happened, and each bucket only made the moment feel more storybook — and somehow more real.
“I didn’t have any jitters, wasn’t nervous,” Jones said. “It was more like I did have a fear where I didn’t know what to expect. But after I talked to my parents and coaches, it was more about trusting the work we put in. I just wanted to play well.”
Jones had one more make left in him, an off-the-dribble 3 from the left wing that gave him an 8of-13 shooting night. He added three rebounds and two assists and finished with a plus-27 net rating in 29 minutes.
None of his teammates confessed disbelief at what they witnessed. UT coach Shaka Smart admitted he grew emotional the first time Jones subbed in, but the performance itself was one he almost expected after witnessing Jones’ nearly two-year battle.
“Sometimes in life, when you’re dealt a tough hand, it’s really all about how you respond,” Smart said. “That’s a word we use a lot in our program — response is your ability to focus on the next most important thing. For the past almost two years, that’s what Andrew has had to do and he hasn’t been able to play a basketball, the game he loves, for Texas, the school he loves.
“Tonight, he did and it was terrific.”