NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Louisiana of last decade
By Joey Loose
10. Damian Jones – Vanderbilt
A 6’10 center originally from Baton Rouge, Jones was a top 100 prospect with size and skill. He ended up enrolling at Vanderbilt, joining the Commodores in 2013, and playing for three seasons under coach Kevin Stallings, his final three at the helm of the program. Jones wasn’t exactly a household name but certainly made an impact at Vandy.
A starter for nearly his entire career, Jones was an important interior piece for the Commodores, averaging 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds as a freshman and only improving from there. He had a 24-point, 12-rebound effort to begin his sophomore year, averaging 14.5 points a game while helping Vanderbilt to a 21-win campaign. His final collegiate game was his only trip to the NCAA Tournament, losing a First Four game to Wichita State.
Jones was twice named to the All-SEC Second Team and found himself on the conference’s All-Defense team as a sophomore. He was an impact center who led the whole conference in field goal percentage and free throw attempts during that dynamic sophomore campaign. He was drafted in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, immediately winning a pair of NBA titles as part of his professional career.