Peach Jam: Jones Battles Through
Howard Pulley’s biggest pool play game this week? Against fellow top ten nationally ranked MoKan. And Tre Jones battled his way through for the win.
Pulley warming up for game one. Huge game against MOKAN, a fellow nationally ranked top 10 level team pic.twitter.com/XBNdFxmFcb
— Ryan James (@RyanJamesMN) July 13, 2017
With his likeness on the EYBL banner above Tre Jones stood by his family (including brother Tyus Jones) and waited with everyone else in the over packed gym for the previous game to finish. The crowd was jammed into every corner of the building because Marvin Bagley was playing, there was no room for Jones or his Pulley teammates to stretch, warm-up, or anything. They had to stand cramped in small spaces like everyone else. Then five minutes were put on the clock for warm-up time. That’s it?
Maybe that was the reason Tre Jones had a tough first night of play. Maybe it was just bound to finally happen. Minnesota fans watched Tyus Jones put forth maybe the greatest high school career in Minnesota high school history (El-Amin and Olberding crowds now speaking up with opposing views) and his final Peach Jam had a bad game or two as well.
Maybe it was just Tre’s turn.
On this rough day Jones was still creating shots for others. The five or six assists mostly went to Gabe Kalscheur for his 24 point, five three-point make night. Tre also grabbed five or six boards and chased after loose balls. He mixed it up so often his face was bloodied. But whatever he did, Jones just couldn’t find away to get shots to drop. Only three of the first 18 sunk. The frustration was written on his face.
Coach K was sitting in the front row next to assistant Jeff Capel. UCLA, Minnesota, USC, Ohio State, and Oregon had assistants watching. A photo of Jones wiping his face with his jersey with the EYBL label exposed was on the banner above the basket. Was all of this too much?
That’s what makes Tre Jones different. A two time state champ. The best point guard in the country and the sixth ranked Prep Hoops player overall. When the game was on the line Jones took the ball out of a timeout, used a hefty Daniel Oturu ball screen to attack middle, was knocked in the face and bloodied again but released a shot to the front of the rim. The ball hung for a second, but dropped. Mom, aunt, uncle, brothers, etc were all there screaming “And1”.
Tre made the shot, the foul shot as well, and Howard Pulley won a huge game on a tough day for Tre. He was the difference maker. Tre Jones was the toughest guy on the floor.
The win puts Howard Pulley at 1-0 in EYBL but it did more than that. They are the favorites to win their next four pool play games and this victory puts them out in front to potentially earn that field of eight playoff berth. Oturu went toe to toe with five star Jontay Porter and held his own (with defensive help from Jarvis Thomas) and Kalschur was scorching simply giving Pulley a chance to be in the game.
His teammates helped him to the finish line but Tre fought to that final possession and made the game’s biggest play. The Panthers play again today at 12:30.