Duke Basketball: Ranking Tre Jones among previous Blue Devil point guards

Duke Basketball sophomore Tre Jones is putting together a career resume that could place him alongside some of the best point guards in the history of the program.

On Feb. 8, Tre Jones ensured that his name will not be forgotten in the annals of Duke basketball history.

That was the day when Jones and the heavily-favored Blue Devils found themselves on the ropes against rival North Carolina. With Duke trailing by double digits late in the second half, Jones led a rally that he punctuated with a buzzer-beating jumper to force overtime.

Between the last few minutes of regulation and the first few minutes of overtime, Jones scored 15 straight Duke points. He made a free throw with seven seconds left in the extra frame to pull Duke within one point, and it was Jones’ missed jumper that Wendell Moore Jr. put back in before the buzzer to give Duke a thrilling victory.

Jones finished with 28 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals. The sophomore point guard was the most valuable player and one of the heroes in what was one of the most exciting games in the storied Duke-UNC rivalry.

What does that mean for Jones’ place in the history of Duke point guards?

There have been point guards who didn’t have amazing careers in Durham, N.C., but had at least one unforgettable moment of glory. Think Sean Dockery and his half-court game-winner against Virginia Tech in 2005, or Jeff Capel and his half-court shot to force overtime against the Tar Heels in 1995.

There have been point guards who didn’t create one signature moment but still had a very solid, successful run. Think Quinn Cook (2011-2015) or Chris Duhon (2000-04), both of whom won national championships at Duke and became serviceable NBA players.

Some Duke point guards went on to become great NBA players but didn’t make much of an impact on the college level, e.g. Kyrie Irving. Others did great things in college but didn’t leave a mark in the pros, e.g. Chris Collins.

It’s tough to compare college players across eras when some of the most talented athletes spend one or maybe two years in school. Should four-year players get an automatic edge over those who were better basketball players but less productive due to shorter tenures?

Another wrinkle in the mix is the way Duke has played for so long.

Coach K doesn’t always have one guy who is *the* point guard; he’s been known to start two similarly-sized guards who can play either backcourt position. Essentially, Duke may have two point guards on the floor at once, or two shooting guards, or two combo guards. It can be tricky figuring out exactly how to categorize them.

So where does Tre Jones fit into the picture?

Jones is averaging 15.6 points, 6.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game this season. He was a freshman starter on an Elite Eight team last season, and the Blue Devils are strongly in play for a No. 1 seed this season — ranked No. 7 in the country through Sunday’s schedule with a 22-3 record.

His resume is highlighted by an All-ACC Tournament selection, an ACC All-Defensive Team nod, and an ACC All-Freshman Team nod.

Surely there will be more accolades coming after this season, but for now, Tre Jones isn’t even the most accomplished Duke point guard in his own family. His older brother Tyus Jones was a one-and-done star for the Blue Devils who won a national championship and Final Four Most Outstanding Player before going pro.

Here’s my ranking of the top 20 point guards in Duke history:

1. Johnny Dawkins, 1982-86

2. Bobby Hurley, 1989-93

3. Jay Williams, 1999-2002

4. Dick Groat, 1949-52

5. Nolan Smith, 2007-11

6. Bob Verga, 1964-67

7. Chris Duhon, 2000-04

8. Tommy Amaker, 1983-87

9. Tyus Jones, 2014-15

10. Quinn Cook, 2011-15

11. Steve Wojciechowski, 1994-98

12. Jeff Capel, 1993-97

13. Austin Rivers, 2011-12

14. Kyrie Irving, 2010-11

15. Daniel Ewing, 2001-05

16. Gary Melchionni, 1970-73

17. William Avery, 1997-99

18. Tre Jones, 2018-Present 

19. Greg Paulus, 2005-09

20. Quin Snyder, 1985-89

The upside for Jones is that he has time and opportunity to move up the list.

Quarterbacking this Duke team to a Final Four or a national championship in 2020 would go a long way toward bolstering his legacy. Jones will almost certainly be an All-ACC pick this season, possibly an All-American, maybe ACC Player of the Year or the Bob Cousy Award winner as the nation’s best point guard. He’s also a finalist for national player of the year.

Jones is currently projected as a late second-round pick on NBADraft.net. So there’s a decent chance he comes back to Duke for his junior season, allowing him to add to his resume and eventually leave school with even more accolades.

By the time he’s done, it’s not crazy to think that Jones could be considered one of the five greatest point guards in the history of Duke basketball.