Escaping with an 85-83 overtime win over DePaul on Tuesday gave the 7th-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles a 15-2 record and a 6-0 mark in the Big East, good for first in the conference. The hero of that game was forward David Joplin and his 30 points, but guard Kam Jones remains the story of Marquette’s season.
Tuesday’s scare against the Blue Devils was not his best performance, as Jones went 8 of 21 from the floor and just 1-10 from deep on his way to 18 points. On the season, the NPOY-candidate is averaging 19.6 PTS, 5.0 REB, and 6.7 AST while shooting 49.6%.
Notwithstanding his dip in three-point efficiency (31.9% for a lifetime 37.5% shooter), it has been a career campaign for the 6’5” senior. Jones has improved his playmaking ability by leaps and bounds, not only getting his but involving his teammates as well–his assists figure is nearly triple his 2.4 APG last season.
And he’s only getting better, gaining more national attention with each Golden Eagles game. ESPN’s updated Top 50 ranking of college basketball’s best players represents Jones’ peak status thus far. Behind only Duke’s Cooper Flagg and Auburn’s Johni Broome, he sits third on that list.
Although Age Hurts Kam Jones’ Draft Stock He May Still Be Undervalued
Despite Jones’ rising stock, Bleacher Report’s mock draft projections peg him going 28th in the first round to the Boston Celtics. While college talent and draft placement do not share a one-to-one correlation, influenced by factors such as position, age, and physical and emotional maturity, why does ESPN’s 3rd-ranked player appear that far down the board?
As far as guards go, Bleacher Report projects Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper the highest, at second overall going to the Pelicans. Given the numbers he is putting up at a young age (20.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.4 APG), this hardly feels like a slight to Jones. BR lists NBA point guards Coby White, Jalen Brunson and Cade Cunningham as Harper’s closest prototypes–an impressive trio to say the least.
Following Harper, Oklahoma’s freshman Jeremiah Fears (6th) is the most prominent name, but every guard ahead of Jones is 18 or 19 years old. Simply put, NBA teams value rawer talent with a few extra years of potential production over older, more developed players with similar skill level, such as the 22-year-old Jones.
Nonetheless, BR gives him a higher ceiling than several of his higher ranked counterparts, listing the Kings’ Malik Monk (17.5 PPG, 5.5 APG this season) as Jones’ closest comparison. By contrast, Kobe Bufkin (5.3 PPG), Malik Beasley (16.0 PPG), and Iman Shumpert (retired in 2021, career 7.2 PPG) supply the most similar NBA profiles for players mock-drafted ahead of Marquette’s star.
Marquette Golden Eagles Steadily Producing NBA Talent
The only Golden Eagle included in BR’s projected draft, Jones joins a few vaunted names in the program’s recent history of NBA draftees. A pair of Miami Heat legends headline the cohort–Jimmy Butler (30th overall in 2011 to Chicago) and Dwayne Wade (5th overall in 2003 to Miami). All-time, Marquette has sent 58 players to the Association.
Just last year, the Portland Trail Blazers took seniors Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro 34th and 40th before handing them over to the New York Knicks and the Phoenix Suns, respectively.
Kolek has appeared in 25 games so far this season, while Ighodaro has developed a relationship with Suns great Kevin Durant and carved out a regular reserve role, averaging 4.1 PTS and 3.8 REB in 16.9 minutes per game.
Taking over floor general duties for Marquette with Kolek’s departure, Jones has a chance to one-up his ex-teammates, both second-round selections, if he is indeed chosen on opening night in June 2025.
Today, Jones and the Golden Eagles are up against Xavier (11-7, 3-4).
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