A starter in 83 career games and a career 55 percent shooter from the floor, Jones enters his fifth and final year in the program as Penn State[apos]s most dominant low post presence and on pace to finish his career among the Nittany Lions[apos] top 15 all-time rebounders. He has chiseled his 6-10, 245-pound frame through long hours in the weight room (adding more than 30 pounds since setting foot on campus) and brings more than 500 points (547) and nearly 500 rebounds (492) into the 2010-11 season. After a stellar 2009 NIT championship run in which he averaged 10 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, Jones, who entered Penn State with just three years of organized basketball under his belt, will be the first to admit he took a step back as a junior. Long known for his hustle, work ethic and relentless play in the lane, Jones will be primed to close out his Nittany Lion career strong and will be among Penn State[apos]s vocal leaders.
NOTABLE
On pace to rank among the top 15 rebounders all-time at Penn State and could potentially reach the top 10.
Set career highs for scoring (16) and rebounding (14) in NIT semifinal win over Notre Dame in Madison Square Garden.
Led team shooting 57.9 percent from the floor in 2008-09.
Led team in offensive rebounding in two seasons, posting 81 in 2008-09.
Has added more than 30 pounds of muscle since arriving at Penn State in 2006.
2009-10 JUNIOR
Was second on the team grabbing 5.1 rebounds per game and added 6.0 points per game...Started 25 games while playing in all 31...Jones was second on the team hitting 54.4 percent from the floor, but struggled from the free throw line hitting just 58.1 (25-43) percent...Averaged 8.2 ppg and 6.5 rpg over the last six regular season games...Had six double-digit outings on the year...Posted his fourth career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds vs. UMBC (12/8)...Had a game-high 11 rebounds vs. Tulane (11/20)...Scored 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting and grabbed a game-high eight boards in a loss at Minnesota (12/29)...Had 10 points and seven boards in an 81-70 victory at Northwestern (2/17)...Followed that game with 10 points in a 55-51 victory at Michigan (2/20) while holding DeShawn Sims to 10 points, six below his average...Had eight points and a team-high eight boards in a loss at No. 9 Ohio State...Eight points and seven boards in a victory over Northwestern (2/28).
2008-09 SOPHOMORE
Two seasons of hard work and little recognition began to pay dividends in 2008-09 as Jones emerged as a rebounding and scoring force in the paint...Ranked second on the team with 5.7 rebounds per game (and a team leading 81 offensive boards) and fourth scoring 6.2 points per game while posting a team-best 57.9 percent from the floor...Started a team-best 37 games...Hit his stride late in the season averaging 10 points and a team-high 8.2 rebounds in Penn State[apos]s five-game run to the 2009 NIT Championship...Posted seven double-figure scoring outings (five after February 1) and five double-digit rebounding efforts, including a career-high 14 rebounds and 16 points in an NIT semifinal victory over Notre Dame (3/31)...Had a then career-best 14 points and 10 rebounds in PSU[apos]s second round NIT victory over Rhode Island (3/19)...Shot 75 percent from the floor and made 11 straight field goals in one stretch in PSU[apos]s last 10 regular season games...Improved his free throw shooting by nearly 10 percentage points (60.8 to 69.4) and was 13-of-17 (76.4), second best on the team, in the last five minutes of games...Posted a then career-best 13 rebounds with eight points and three steals in a victory over Towson (11/29) in his hometown of Philadelphia...Had 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting and seven boards in a victory over Army (12/10)...Pulled 10 boards in a Big Ten opening victory over Northwestern (12/31)...Led team with 11 boards in an upset of No. 14 Purdue (1/6)...Posted 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting and added nine boards in an upset win over No. 9 Michigan State in East Lansing (2/1)...Hit 3-of-4 at the line in the closing seconds...Had eight boards, seven points and two steals and played tremendous defense in a 38-33 upset victory over No. 16 Illinois in Champaign (2/18).
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2007-08 FRESHMAN
Saw his Nittany Lion debut posting five points and two rebounds in Penn State[apos]s 74-64 season-opening win over St. Francis (11/12)...Went on to earn the starting job at the 'five' position six games into the season and eventually started 21 games and played in all 31...Led Penn State with 61 offensive rebounds and shooting 51.6 percent from the floor...Was third on the team with 3.7 rebounds per game while averaging 4.0 points per game...Posted six points, six rebounds and two blocks in a 93-40 win over Canisius (11/16)...Made his first career start in a 66-61 victory over Virginia Tech (11/28) and provided strong defense and an emotional and energetic boost to the line-up...Scored a nine points and grabbed three rebounds in just 13 minutes in a 79-67 loss at St. Joseph[apos]s (12/1)...Posted his first career double-double with a career high 11 points and 10 rebounds along with playing 28 minutes in a loss vs. Ohio State (1/29/08)...Made a career best 4-of-5 from the floor in the game...Went 3-for-3 from the floor and posted a team high tying seven rebounds at Michigan (2/9)...Had eight points and two rebounds in the first half at Michigan State (2/20)...Posted six points and six rebounds and had a big tip-in to tie the game at 46-46 in a 68-64 upset of No. 17 Indiana (3/9)...Scored 10 points and added six rebounds in a career high 37 minutes in a first round loss to Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament (3/13).
2006-07 FRESHMAN - REDSHIRT
A redshirt season...Jones displayed a tremendous work ethic and attitude doing extensive weight room work throughout the season on top of daily practices to add nearly 30 pounds to his frame...Made big strides on the practice floor focusing on his low post offensive and defensive skills and was a major contributor for the scout team, challenging the Nittany Lions[apos] frontline players with his energy, hustle and physical play.
HIGH SCHOOL
A two-time All-League selection and All-City pick as a senior at Abington Friends HS in Philadelphia, Pa., Jones developed quickly after an Abington Friends assistant coach discovered him through a friend while he was enrolled at the Charter High School for Architecture and Design...Jones transferred to Friends, was reclassified as a sophomore and began his organized career in basketball as a 6-6 forward...Tallied 8.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 2.0 bpg in his first season (2003-04) as Friends won a league title...Improved to 12.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 3.0 bpg in his second season when the team lost the league title by one point...Helped Friends to a best ever 25-2 record and Friends School League championship as a senior and team captain...Earned first team All-League and All-City honors as a senior while posting 14.0 pgg, 8.0 rpg and 4.0 bpg....Second Team All-Montgomery Country...His senior season rivaled that of teammate Jason Love who signed with Xavier...Helped Friends to a 67-17 record and two league titles in his three seasons as a letterman...Recorded two triple-doubles during his career...Played along side Jason Love who signed with Xavier...Recipient of the Greg Salmon award for citizenship and service...Rated 179th among all senior recruits in the nation by Bob Gibbons All Star Sports.
PERSONAL Born July, 1, 1987 in Philadelphia, Pa....The son of Carolyn Ann Reed and Andrew Jones, Jr....Has no brothers or sisters.