The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1520409
36 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JUNE/JULY 2024 2024 BASKETBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY JOHN BORTON I t's 1,172 miles from Denton, Texas, to Ann Arbor, and probably a bit colder in the latter locale come February. No mat- ter, for U-M transfer combo guard Rubin Jones, who gladly made the trek from the University of North Texas to help new head coach Dusty May heat things up next winter. "I always loved his whole system," Jones enthusiastically offered, noting he's squared off against May's Florida Atlantic squads. "It was always a little harder to guard his offenses. They play to their strengths, a lot. Once he hit me up, it was almost like a no-brainer. He knows my game more than any coach in the country. He did it at FAU, and I know he'll be able to get us there again at Michigan, with more resources, more everything." Jones expects to hit the new system running — quite literally. "It's more of a freelance offense than I ran," Jones said. "We ran a pick-and- roll, slower offense. His offense put us in transition a lot. It keeps the defense on its heels. I feel like my game is best in the open court, when I'm in transition, when I'm running. That's when I play my best game. I love to pass the ball, hit my shooters, get the defense to collapse. That's when I'm at my best, running transition. "His offense is a lot of running. They push the ball and get after it. I know my defense is going to be great, no matter where I am in the country. I love defense, I love guarding the best player every night, and I feel like he knows my game. He can expand my game more than any coach in the country." Jones knows all about warming to the task. He experienced his best season in four at North Texas last winter, averag- ing 12.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He led the Mean Green to a 19-15 record last season, in- cluding a 17-point effort in an 84-77 UNT win at LSU in the NIT. Jones shot 60 percent from three-point range in that one, while coming up with 4 steals. He's provided a steady hand through- out his career at North Texas, topping out in the three-point shooting depart- ment last year by connecting on 41.6 percent of his long-range attempts. He's also known as a very strong defender who can immediately impact May's first Michigan crew in that department. Bo r n i n Ho u s to n , Jo n e s s ta n d s 6-foot-5, 190 pounds, bringing length to the guard spot at Michigan. A se- nior last season at UNT, Jones comes to Michigan as a grad student with one year of eligibility. He certainly enjoyed options when looking to the transfer portal. But the harder he looked, the more attractive Michigan became. "The visit was amazing," Jones mar- veled. "I'm walking through the campus and I said, 'Man, this feels like a movie.' It's definitely a huge transition for me, coming from North Texas. Everything about it is amazing, from the facilities on to Ann Arbor itself. I couldn't believe it. We're definitely going to try to turn the basketball thing around and make a run." He admitted not being the biggest football fan, to this point. That's about to change. "I know next year, I definitely will be," Jones said with a laugh. "I will 100 per- cent be a football fan." ❏ Long-Range Ability Rubin Jones Makes The Big Road Trip To Crisler Jones By The Numbers • A team captain, he played in 23 games last season, missing 11 due to injury. • Jones' 12.1-point scoring average in 2023-24 made him the second-leading scorer for the Mean Green on the season. • Also stood as the second-best three-point shooter on his team, making 41.6 percent on threes. • He ranked third on his team in free throw percentage (77.3 percent) among those with more than 20 attempts. • Made the 2023 Conference USA All-Defensive Team, two years after earning Conference USA All- Freshman Team honors, and helped North Texas win the 2023 NIT championship. • His highest-scoring game was a 20-point effort against Mississippi State last December. • Racked up a career-high 8 rebounds against Tulane in March, and a career-high 8 assists versus Omaha last November. • Shot 36.7 percent from three-point range in his North Texas career, connecting on 135 of 368 at- tempts. • Averaged 28.2 minutes per game over the course of his career, from 22.6 as a true freshman to 29.5 this past season. • Proved a 74.1 percent free throw shooter over the course of his career, with his senior season effort marking his best thus far. • Fouled out of only four games in four seasons for the Mean Green. — John Borton Jones experienced his best season as a senior at North Texas last winter, averaging 12.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game. PHOTO COURTESY NORTH TEXAS ATHLETICS