From Long Beach’s sun-soaked courts to electrifying the crowd at the Walter Pyramid, Jones unfolds a story of passion and determination in his game. Hailing from the streets where he first held a basketball to representing his roots at Cal State Long Beach, Jones is determined to perfect his craft and bring home a Big West championship for his hometown.
Long Beach has been a place Jones called home all his life. The timing was good for the 6-foot-5-inch junior guard, and it felt fitting to attend the school that embodied the essence of the 562.
Jones’ love for basketball stems from his father, Derek Jones, who put a basketball in his hands when he started walking as a kid. His father also played for Cal State Fullerton’s basketball team in the late ‘80s.
His father had high hopes of going to the NBA before being a surviving victim in his junior year at Cal State Fullerton of a drive-by shooting near his Long Beach home in 1987.
His father returned to the court the following season with a determination for his senior year at Fullerton, averaging 11.4 points compared to 8.7 points in his junior year.
“He challenged me every day to get better, whether that’d be basketball, board games or video games,” Jones said. “He made me want to be better than him at everything.”
Jones’s father and family attend every game. Whether at home in the Pyramid or within driving distance, they’re there to support and cheer him on.
In 17 games this season, Jones is averaging a career-high 12.1 points and 1.9 steals, showing just how versatile he is as a three-and-D player for The Beach and in the Big West.
The junior forward’s biggest accomplishments at LBSU were his game-winning three in the Big West Semifinals against Santa Barbara in his freshman season and earning the 2021–22 Big West Defensive Player of the Year award in his sophomore season.
“Every day is an accomplishment,” Jones said. “Just getting better, getting to be here in front of family, friends and my community.”
When Jones is not playing basketball, he enjoys fishing for yellowtail off the pier at Redondo Beach and playing video games with his father.x
As a business management major, Jones talked about plans post-college, potentially pursuing a master’s degree, playing basketball overseas or declaring for the NBA draft with the mindset of what he described as what God has planned for him.
“I work hard every day, trying to stay humble. Try to stay in the gym as much as I can,” Jones said. “I just want to be the best player I can be.”