Big South Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade ('13-23)

Big South Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

By Joey Loose | Jul 9, 2023

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 16: Amari Bailey #5 of the UCLA Bruins shoots over Drew Pember #4 of the North Carolina-Asheville Bulldogs and Tajion Jones #3 of the North Carolina-Asheville Bulldogs during the second half in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Center on March 16, 2023 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

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Big South Basketball North Carolina-Asheville Bulldogs guard Tajion Jones Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

19. Tajion Jones

For the last five seasons, Jones was a major part of basketball at UNC Asheville. This 6’5 wing from Oak Ridge, Tennessee got onto campus after Mike Morrell took over the program in 2018. The first few seasons were pretty rough for the Bulldogs, but UNC Asheville was a pretty impressive program by the end of his collegiate career.

Jones was a starter for all five seasons with the Bulldogs and also averaged double-figure scoring in each of those years. UNC Asheville really struggled early in his career, but he played a major role in the turnaround. He shot 42% from beyond the arc as both a sophomore and junior and had decent numbers in his senior season. He opted to return for his bonus year this past season and wouldn’t regret the decision, averaging 14.9 points and 5.1 rebounds while helping lead the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament. He had 24 points in the Big South title game win over Campbell before a decent showing to end his career against UCLA in the Big Dance.

Jones rated as one of the league’s best offensive players, especially late in his career. His near-45% 3-point shooting percentage in his final season ranked 3rd in the entire nation and helped earn him First Team All-Big South honors. Simply put, he was a great outside shooter who contributed all over the court and helped lead the program from a 4-win season to the Big Dance by the end of his career.