Ball State University Athletics
Ball State Sports Link Package: Jarrod Jones (Basketball)
March 04, 2010 | Men's Basketball
By Rick Johnston & Emma Smith | Ball State Sports Link
MUNCIE, Ind. - As the Ball State men's basketball team enters its final regular season game tonight (March 4) at Western Michigan, there is much uncertainty as to how the season and the team's positioning for the postseason conference tournament will end.
The uncertainty on the court however, pales in comparison to the doubt which surrounded Jarrod Jones just three years ago.
Entering his senior season at Michigan City High School, the 6-foot-9 forward was heavily recruited by many Big Ten and Atlantic 10 schools.
His future seemed primed to quickly become a major player on the college basketball landscape. Indiana, Purdue, Dayton and Xavier were all schools interested in Jones.
However, during an unofficial visit to Notre Dame and before a national amateur showcase, Jones broke his left leg going for a rebound in a pick-up game. The future changed in a split second.
"I knew the showcase was a big opportunity to play in front of all the coaches in the country," Jones says. "I was concerned about how my recruitment would go from there."
Following the injury, some schools backed off on recruiting the all-state candidate, but Ball State head coach Billy Taylor and associate head coach Bob Simmons were just starting to rebuild the Cardinals' program in Muncie. The duo knew Jones could be the impact player they needed.
"The first day of the recruiting period that year, I told Jarrod I wanted to come and visit," says BSU associate head coach Bob Simmons. "I remember jumping up and down in the hallway when Jarrod said he was coming to Ball State."
"The opportunity here at Ball State might not have been there at some of the other schools," Jones adds. "Ball State was there and interested from day one."
Jones, the 2008-09 Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year, is leading this year's team in scoring (12.4) and rebounding (7.6). The two-time MAC Player of the Week also owns a team-leading seven double-doubles.
Ball State will secure its postseason-seeding fate with a March 4 contest at Western Michigan. The Cardinals could finish the season as the two, four, five, six, seven or eight seed in the 2010 MAC Tournament which begins Sunday.
For more on Ball State Athletics, visit www.ballstatesports.com.
About Ball State Sports Link:
Ball State Sports Link is an immersive learning experience. The program allows students to write, shoot, produce and host a variety of sports programs.
The program is the first in the nation where students are totally immersed in sports and electronic media. For more information about Sports Link, visit www.bsusportslink.com or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ballstatesportslink.
