NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Minnesota of last decade
By Joey Loose
4. Tre Jones – Duke
A 6’3 guard from Apple Valley, Jones was a five-star recruit, considered one of the very best point guards in the class of 2018. He made his way to Duke, following in his brother’s footsteps in playing under Mike Krzyzewski for the Blue Devils. While the program was less successful than under brother Tyus, Jones still made quite the impact across his two seasons on campus.
As a freshman, Jones was the starting point guard for a Duke team that made the Elite Eight, scoring a then-career-high 22 points in a Sweet Sixteen win over Virginia Tech. His overall numbers really took off in his second season, averaging 16.2 points and 6.4 assists per game for the Blue Devils. He had a 31-point game against Georgia State and ended his career with a 21-point, 11-assists effort in a win over North Carolina, with the season limited by the pandemic.
Jones was an all-around fantastic player for the Blue Devils, winning ACC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year for that sophomore season. He was on the conference’s All-Defense team in both his collegiate seasons, finishing near the top of the ACC rankings in assists and steals in both years. He was drafted in the second round by the San Antonio Spurs and continues his basketball career with them now two years later.