“Basketball Jones” is more than a psychedelic oldies rock song to Western junior Paul Jones.
Forward on the men’s basketball team, often first off the bench and averaging 7.3 points per game, it is becoming Jones’ personal theme song, whether he likes it or not.
“The other day we were in the locker room before the game, and Alfred [Davis] started singing that song, ‘Basketball Jones,’ and I was like, ‘Hey, that kind of applies to me,’” Jones said. “Then I started singing it, and he was like, ‘Man, that’s going to be your song now.’”
Coach Brad Jackson said Jones plays with extreme intensity at every practice and game, from the moment he enters the court to the end of the day.
“With Paul, we knew we were getting a hard worker,” Jackson said.
It may seem like the perfect fit these days, but Jones wasn’t always sure he would be playing basketball at a university or, for that matter, even attending one.
Jones and his sister are the first in his family to attend college. Jones knows many who have dropped out and he was in a rough situation himself, when he was unable to play for Western his first year due to academic ineligibility, he said.
Jones transferred to Whatcom Community College where he improved his grades and played basketball. He started getting more offers but decided to return to Western the next year. His first year back, Jones played as a redshirt.
“[In high school] I didn’t have a dream to go to college, but with the right motivation I put forth the effort,” he said.
Growing up, Jones moved back and forth between Federal Way and Kent and graduated from Kent-Meridian High School in 2007.
In his senior year of high school, Jones averaged 12.6 points per game.
Attending college is his biggest personal achievement, he said.
“The opportunity to not only play college basketball but just be at college. It’s a good feeling,” Jones said.
Jones also appreciates the intense workout basketball provides. He said it keeps him in top shape.
“My endurance is always good during the season,” Jones said. “It’s good for my body. Out of season I start getting out of shape — that’s when I start to miss it.”
Jones also likes the adrenaline that comes with playing. Once he’s on the court, he can focus on the game and not the crowd.
“You have nerves before every game — once you get on the court you’re just centered,” Jones said.
Jackson said Jones has a strong energy, focus and desire for his team to win.
The Vikings so far have played well this season, with 22 wins and three losses. As a role player, Jones said the team’s success matters most to him.
Teammate Chris Mitchell said he has played with Jones since Jones was a redshirt last year.
“He’s a fun guy to play with,” Mitchell said. “He’s very team oriented and just wants to win.”
Jones said he gets good minutes and is happy enough with his personal stats. He said it’s nothing to brag about because a lot of people on the team can score.
“We’re a really deep team so it’s hard — not everybody’s going to average 15,” Jones said. “I’m not really too concerned about that. As long as we’re winning, that’s what I really care about. As long as I contribute to our success, I’m happy.”
Jackson said Jones is the epitome of a team player and puts the success of his team above himself.
“He cares about his personal performance, but he gets more excited when his teammates do well,” Jackson said.
Jones has contributed to the team’s success. He scored the highest points in two games and has a 161-point total this year. Jones averages 4.4 rebounds each game, the fifth highest on the team.
Jackson said Jones stands out because he is ambidextrous. Jones usually shoots with his left hand but near the hoop will often switch to his right. Being ambidextrous gives him an advantage against his opponents, Jackson said.
He started to play up his ambidexterity in high school, Jones said.
“If I’m going in with my left, other players push me to the right, but what they don’t know is that’s my strong side,” Jones said.
Jackson said Jones takes advice to heart and is willing to work hard to improve, which is one of the reasons he will continue to get even better.
Jones said the team is very tight-knit and friendly, which comes with the territory of playing together six days every week.
“To me, these are like all my brothers,” Jones said.
Jones will sometimes arrive early to games to get a head start on his warm-up routine, he said.
A sociology major, Jones is hoping to get a career-related internship this summer. He doesn’t have a set career picked yet, but became interested in sociology when he took an entry-level course and saw that it was a degree he felt he could accomplish.
Jones will play for the Vikings again next year. After graduating, he is not sure how much he will continue playing, but he knows he doesn’t want to abandon the sport.
“We’ll just see how it goes,” Jones said. “I don’t think I could just stop playing basketball.”
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