Jones Gets Second Chance With RiverHawks

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. -- Jason Jones' trek to Northeastern State University's Jack Dobbins Field House hasn't been an easy road. It has been filled with curves and pitfalls along the way.

It hasn't been a journey that a normal high school senior takes following graduation with the ability to play basketball.

Along the way the 6-7 Division II pre-season All-American candidate has been guided by former NSU head coach Ken Hayes, current RiverHawks coach Larry Gipson and most importantly his parents Zackery and Chantal Jones of Cahors, France.

Jones, who holds dual citizenship, began his journey to the U.S. as a college basketball player on August,25^th, 2004 following graduation from Westhill High School in Stamford, Conn. While at Westhill, Jones was named the MVP and defensive player of the year his senior season in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference.

That's when his journey began, one that eventually brought him to Northeastern State.

Jason began shopping his basketball ability to various schools in the Northeast, hoping to land a Division I scholarship. Instead he found himself headed to Concordia College in New York, a D-II school.

"I returned home to France thinking that's where I was headed," said Jones, adding, "that all changed over the summer.

"My coach in high school got me into an AAU tournament and a coach that I had played against in high school contacted (Steve) coach Hesser at Drury about me. After a tryout, I got a scholarship. Things happened and I wasn't able to make the most of it."

Jones was released by Drury and it was during the semester he was out of school and basketball that according to Jason, "I grew up."

When he received notice that he was being released he turned to his father back in France, a former player at the University of Tulsa (1972-75) for Hayes and a pro basketball player and coach in France.

"Jason was in a situation at Drury, that he had seen me in before," said Zackery. "As a pro player you might have a 5-year contract or it might last 6 months or a month and you never know when someone is going to tell you its over.

When he (Jason) called me on the phone and told me what happened I almost anticipated it anyway. But when it did come down we were both really hurt," said Zackery. I told him its what's inside of you that you are able to overcome the difficulty. That's what our discussion was right away".

After his visit with his father, Jason went about the task of getting his life back on track and finding a place to continue his college basketball career.

"I worked three jobs to pay the bills and support myself," said Jason. That was one experienced that pushed me to grow up. I can say that I'm the kind of person that is accountable and owns up to my mistakes. That semester of working so hard to try and make ends meet gave me a glimpse of what I didn't want to do later on in life.

"It opened up a whole set of different views. School is not hard, you get money to go eat, take classes and all you have to do is play basketball. Which is a sport I love. School is way easy. It's no comparison to the ups and downs I had to go through back at Drury," said Jones.

After the Drury experience, in stepped Hayes, who kept in contact with his former player at TU (Zackery), who he recruited out of Crowder Junior College following his graduation at Tulsa Central High School.

"I knew Jason was at Drury and Zack called me about Jason," said Hayes. "Here was an international student without a scholarship. When I contacted Jason he was working three jobs in Springfield, just trying to exist.

"When the Drury coach refused to renew his scholarship at midterm it was a situation where Jason needed to move immediately to retain his eligibility. Zach contacted me from France, and I contacted Jason about Northeastern State. I told him it was my school and that Larry Gipson was the best coach in America.

‘I told Jason it would be a place he would be comfortable and basically turned it over to Larry with his phone number."

Ja Havens, a former assistant to Hayes and an assistant at Drury told Gipson ‘"Jason was one of the nicest young men he had met in his life and that he could shoot it and he really endorsed him."'

"I guess I was the bridge in Zac's and Jason's life," said Hayes. "Everyone needs a bridge to help them out along the way."

It was that bridge that led Jason Jones to the RiverHawks. Jason, who's grandparents live in Tulsa, was familiar with the area said "It was a second chance.

"This has been the best two years of my life," said Jason. "When I first got here it was a great feeling from where I came from. It was a tough situation and I was looking for a way out. My Dad, Coach Hayes and Coach Gipson all came through for me. They gave me a second chance.

"A chance to start in a new place, where no one knew me. They were willing to give me a chance to prove myself and make me into what kind of a man I am now. That was the best thing that happened to me."

The 6-7 post who is averaging 15.5 points a game , 6^th in the Lone Star Conference and 9.3 boards, the No. 1 rebounder in the LSC, while racking up 10 double-doubles for the season, has been nothing but  sensational for the RiverHawks' Gipson.

"He's just a tremendous basketball player," said Gipson. "We've been fortunate in the 13 years I've been here to coach guys like Randy Keyes, John Cornwell, Jon Shepherd and Shiloh Shores, some really good post players.

"I think Jason needs to be in the conversation with any of those guys. He's a unique player. I think he's the best big man in the Lone Star Conference. He's the most unique big man with his ability to score inside and outside.

‘I can say without question that he's the best defensive rebounder in my 13 years here at Northeastern State. He really has enabled us to be a solid defensive team. That's gone a long way to our success," said Gipson.

Jason's family, who recently spent a week in Tahlequah watching play, follows the RiverHawks on the internet and keeps touch vie cell phone.

"For me it was difficult to see him leave home," said his mother Chantal. "I worry, so many thousands of miles away over the seas, but he has friends around him and his grandparents and his sister (Sarah, a sophomore member of the University of Central Oklahoma rowing team)."

"He's come a long ways," said Zackery. "If everyone knew where he came from when he first came to America they would really be in awe at where he is right now."

Right now the LSC is in awe.