#25 Memphis: Tyus Jones (PG; Fr.; Duke)

Birthday: 5/10/96
NBA Position: Point Guard
Class: Freshman
Ht: 6-1
Wt: 185
Hometown: Apple Valley, MN
High School: Apple Valley
NBA Comparison: Trey Burke/Luke Ridnour
Notes: 6'0.75, 191.2 lbs, with a 6'5.25 wingspan and 8'0.75 reach at the 2014 USA U18 tryouts


Strengths:
Point guard in the truest sense of the word with excellent court sense and feel for the game … Rarely makes a bad decision ... Maturity beyond his years, very comfortable in a leadership role, also very adaptable to those he is playing with … Very good at changing speeds, plays under control and makes very few mistakes … Looks to pass first before creating his own offense, while still maintaining a jump shot that requires attention … Great body control, does not shy from contact and uses change of pace to create shots … Is a major threat in the pick-and-roll, can hurt you with the pass and will make you pay if you go under the screen … If the “clutch gene” does exist, he definitely seems to have it … Not afraid to take on a larger scoring role when needed, seemed to play his best basketball in the biggest games … For a player not known for his athleticism, got to the line quite often and shot a fantastic 88.2% FT … Seemed to get more comfortable as the season progressed, three point percentage went from 33.9% in non-conference games to 40.7% against the ACC … Close to a 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio, was 2nd in assists per game in the ACC … Though he is slightly over 6-feet tall, has a wingspan a few inches longer than his height … Has a great understanding of how to feed the post, something not many freshmen PG’s excel at doing … Played 33.7 mpg, was able to take the reins immediately and is an off-shoot of his coach on the floor … Creative, crafty and one of those rare players who you are confident with running offense in half-court situations … Very confident player, never really seemed out of his element when faced with a challenge … Not bad at shooting on the run, plus showed promise in catch-and-shoot scenarios … Floater could be a possible weapon going forward, very nice touch close to the basket, playing in with his strong body control ...

Weaknesses:
Lacks ideal quickness and athleticism most top flight PG prospects possess ... Doesn't possess a great first step. Struggles to beat quick opponents off the dribble ... Seems to "play small" … While his jump shot is not necessarily a major area of concern, can still improve his efficiency and range and will have a more difficult time creating shots at the next level … Lack of explosive ability hurts him in transition, could have a lot of difficulty finishing at the basket … Will need to work on his off-hand, definitely a player who seems to have more difficulty driving to the left and pulling up for shots on the right … Can lose focus when guarding the perimeter, plus does have a habit of relying on help defense and leaving his team at a disadvantage … While he did average 1.5 spg on the year, he is not a major threat in the passing lanes and is not a tremendous defender off of the ball … Definitely a small PG by NBA standards, will need to add strength if he wants to get consistent minutes in the league … Can be a streaky shooter, did only shoot 41.3% FG on the year and at times will be a bit too conservative as far as forcing the action … Has played with tremendous talent at the college level and while he is a great teammate, it will be interesting to see how he fares if he has to play with players that are less physically/athletically dominant in comparison to their peers …

Notes:
Measured 6’1.25 (in shoes), 184 lbs with a 6’3 wingspan and a 7’10.5 standing reach at the 2014 Nike Hoop Summit … Measured 6'0.75, 191.2 lbs, with a 6'5.25 wingspan and 8'0.75 reach at the 2014 USA U18 tryouts … Began HS playing career as an 8th Grader at Apple Valley in Minnesota … Three time Gatorade/AP Minnesota High School Player of the Year … Three time gold medal winner for Team USA during the 2011 U16 FIBA Americas, the 2012 U17 World Championships and the 2014 U18 FIBA Americas … Averaged 11.6 ppg, 5.7 apg (to only 2 topg), 3.5 rpg and 1.5 spg during his freshman season going into the Final Four … Averaged 13.7 ppg, 5.5 apg and only 1.8 topg in his 17 games against NCAA Tournament teams … Was able to gain the trust of coach Mike Krzyzewski immediately, as he moved Quinn Cook to the off guard position, with the two small guards forming a really nice duo … While he may be a notch below most starting point guards as far as athleticism is concerned, his ability to see the floor and see plays will surely get him some minutes as at least a steady handed back-up … If he improves his shooting, adds strength and shows a greater defensive awareness, coaches will love the intangibles he brings to a team … His level of efficiency as a scorer will be something to watch as time passes by, though his ability to run the offense in the half court and his vision as a distributor will be valuable attributes … Seems to be a likely first round pick, in the mid-to-late range, should he enter the draft this year … Coach K surely would love to have him back in the fold as Duke has no current successor to take his place ...

Michael Visenberg 4/2/15


Strengths:
Smart, and polished point guard who sees the game two plays ahead ... Excellent in pick and roll situations ... Makes great decisions in the half court and open floor ... A great passer and leader who isn't afraid to take big shots ... Makes winning plays ... Can impact games without scoring ... His jumpshot has improved considerably ... Can get into the lane at will, and draws a lot of fouls, good free throw shooter ... Finishes well at the rim ... Has sneaky athleticism ... Big hands for his size, values the ball and is not turnover prone ... Runs a team efficiently, makes the extra pass, understands angles and recognizes match ups ...

Weaknesses:
Doesn't possess ideal physical attributes ... More crafty than quick and not an elite level athlete ... Lacks great size, length and frame to add weight. Plays small ... Really struggles on the defensive end due to lack of great strength and length ... Gambles too much defensively to offset deficiencies ... An improved shooter, but still needs more consistency ... Not blinding quick or fast, will have issues finishing over length at the NBA level ... Defensive limitations will magnify at pro level ... Frame doesn't look like it can hold much more weight ... Lacks much upside ...

Overall:
Jones is one of the more polished point guard prospects to come along in the last few years ... He's not as big and strong as Andrew Harrison or Emmanuel Mudiay but he makes up for some of it with IQ and instincts ... Lacks great upside and will be limited as far his NBA potential is concerned due to lack of great size and athleticism ... More than likely will never be a superstar but in turn likely won't be a bust. Projects as an above average starter ...

Ian Powers 9/13/13