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| Team: South Florida, Junior |
| Physicals | Positions | Rankings | Misc |
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H: 6' 4"
W: 205 lbs
Bday: 10/15/1988
(21 Years Old)
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Current: SG
NBA: PG/SG
Possible: PG/SG
| Round: 2 Pick: 20 in 2011 Mock Draft
Rank 25 in NCAA Juniors
Rank 93 in Top 100 Prospects
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High School: Lake Wales HS
Hometown: Lake Wales, FL
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| Basic Per Game Statistics - Comprehensive Stats - Statistical Top 25s |
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| Top NBA Draft Prospects in the Big East Part Three (#11-15)
October 15, 2009
Kyle Nelson
After emerging as one of the most underrated freshmen in the Big East, South Florida combo-guard Dominique Jones returned for a strong sophomore campaign. He led the Bulls in scoring, in rebounding, and in steals and was named Big East Honorable Mention for the second consecutive season. Though South Florida finished last season 9-22 and won just four games in the Big East, the team has made strides in the off-season and could be far better this time around. The key, however, is their star, Dominique Jones, a player who scouts will be watching closely to see whether or not he has what it takes to play at the next level.
Jones stands 6’4, which depending on his position at the next level, is either above average or merely just average. He has excellent size for a perimeter player at the collegiate level, however, and is aided significantly by his long wingspan and excellent 205-pound frame. He is not a particularly explosive player, which complicates his NBA potential, but he is very quick and utilizes his strength well on both ends of the floor. Knowing his physical limitations helps him compensate for and overcome his lack of elite athleticism, which bodes well considering his future at the next level.
On the offensive end, Jones is severely hampered by his shaky ball handling abilities. Though he has improved since his freshman year, he still has trouble dribbling in traffic and even more trouble trying to create space for himself on the perimeter and from mid-range. His very quick first step, strength, and body control allow him to get to the basket and convert at a good rate, however. His willingness to follow his misses as well as his teammates’ misses, also provides him with open looks around the basket. He is a very good slasher at this point, arguably one of the best in the Big East Conference. Due to his lack of ideal explosiveness, however, he had trouble converting inside against some of the Big East’s more skilled and sizeable big men such as Hasheem Thabeet and Greg Monroe. This is one significant concern for scouts: whether or not he’ll be able to finish amongst the NBA’s taller, stronger, and more athletic big men. Also, despite showing flashes of potential, Jones does not seem to have the court vision or instincts to run the point guard position consistently at this level or the next. He can execute simple drive and kick plays when he is not looking for his own shot, but he oftentimes picks his dribble up too early and frequently commits turnovers when he has gotten himself into trouble.
Improving his handle would also do wonders for his overall offensive game, as well. Most notably, it would help him tremendously in developing a mid-range game. Last season, he showed significantly more flashes than he did previously in his college career, but he still does not look comfortable pulling up off of the dribble. Improved ball handling would certainly help him in this area, but so too would improving his overall shooting mechanics. Jones is a far better shooter than his mediocre percentages would indicate, but inconsistency is a major problem. While his form is fluid, Jones rarely releases the ball from a consistent point and hardly gets the kind of lift one would expect to see from a player with his athleticism. He can make shots with his feet set and, at this point is at his best in catch-and-shoot or spot-up opportunities. He moves very well without the ball in his hands, which certainly helps him in this area. If he wants to be a factor at the next level, however, he must prove to scouts that he is capable of expanding his offensive repertoire to include more of a mid-range game to compliment his slash-and-shoot style.
On the defensive end, not much has changed. His average lateral quickness hurts him against quicker guards and he does not have the size to be as versatile on the perimeter at the next level as he is in college. His strength and length make him a tough match up at the collegiate level, however, and if he could increase his focus and improve upon his defensive awareness, he could develop into a very solid defender. Similarly, he must work on not running under screens and biting for fakes, two things that he continued to do last season.
This season will be crucial for Dominique Jones as he must take a step up from his freshman and sophomore campaigns. After witnessing his percentages plummet and opposing teams focus their defensive schemes to stop him, Jones needs to adapt accordingly and finds ways to score efficiently while continuing to be the co-facilitator for South Florida’s offense. The Bulls are entering a critical season, as well, and improvement is expected, if not required, if Coach Stan Heath wants to keep his job. South Florida will go as far as their star can take them and, though the bright lights likely will not shine on Dominique Jones many times this season, scouts will be watching and waiting to see if he can prove to them that he belongs in the NBA draft discussion.
 [Read Full Article]
Top NBA Draft Prospects in the Big East (Part Four: #16-20)
November 3, 2008
Proving to be one of the surprise stories from last year’s loaded freshman class, Dominique Jones enters his sophomore season as the second leading returning scorer in his class. The shooting guard proved he could put up points against stiff competition, reaching double-figures in all but one Big East game, and topping 20 points in seven different contests. With the departure of big man Kentrell Gransberry, Jones will likely get even more shot opportunities this season.
Physically, Jones is built like a pit-bull for the off guard spot. At 6’4” 205 pounds he has a solid frame that allows him to attack the basket and take contact in the lane. His wingspan helps him on the defensive end, particularly on the glass, where he did a pretty good job rebounding the ball last season. Overall, as we mentioned last year, Jones isn’t a freakish athlete, lacking a degree of explosiveness that most NBA guards have. He does show good strength and body control when attacking the rim, though, and can certainly be described as an above average athlete at the collegiate level.
When we last looked in on Jones, we talked about his shooting prowess from the perimeter. While he is certainly a threat to hit from the outside, his shooting percentages cooled off considerably when he faced tougher defenders in the Big East. Jones is pretty good on the catch and shoot with his feet set, but off the dribble his percentages drop dramatically. There is no question he has great range on his shot, but often, Jones makes poor decisions as to when to shoot the basketball. When faced with tight defensive pressure, rather than looking for a better option a lot of the time, he will tend to fade away on his shot instead. Issues that started to arise with Jones’ game later in the season had to do with his overall technique. He shows a tendency to short arm a lot of his shots in addition to not getting much elevation either.
What really became apparent from Jones later in the season was the success he has going to the basket both in transition and the half court set. He is an extremely aggressive player, often putting his head down and barreling through the lane. His ball-handling skills set him back a bit, as they are still quite loose, resulting in him getting stripped or not getting the best look at the basket. Often times he will be driving down the lane with a full head of steam and pick up an offensive foul as he’s unable to change directions to avoid a defender.
Jones has great strength finishing around the basket and shows very nice touch on his shots, often able to bank in difficult looks. What still continues to be an issue for him though is the almost complete lack of a mid-range game. Jones rarely if ever pulls up off the dribble, but once in a while will mix in a one-handed runner.
Jones’ defensive game is still a mixed bag. His hustle, strength and length make him a difficult player to beat when he is on his game, but this often isn’t the case. As a result of playing at the top of South Florida’s zone defense Jones is often forced to cover quicker guards. His lateral quickness isn’t great and he is too quick to bite on fakes of any kind, making him an easy target to beat off the dribble.
While he is certainly still a long ways away from cracking anyone’s draft board, Jones will be an interesting player to keep an eye on in the upcoming years. Scoring over 17 points per game as a freshman in the Big East is not a minor accomplishment, and if he becomes a more consistent perimeter shooter, while improving his decision making and all-around versatility, we could very well be looking at a future NBA player.
[Read Full Article]
NCAA Weekly Performers, 1/23/08-- Part One
January 24, 2008
One of the more interesting surprises of the season has been the steady play of Dominique Jones, a unheralded combo guard out of Florida. Posting numbers that rank him amongst the top freshman in the country, he is quietly beginning to make a name for himself in the Big East despite USF’s limited success.
The physical package that Jones offers makes him intriguing, standing 6’4 and blessed with a very nice wingspan. He owns a powerful first step, while having strength uncommon for a player so young as well. However, his athleticism is quite average, as he possesses poor lateral quickness and is not very explosive for a potential draft prospect.
Jones does the bulk of his scoring through strong takes to the basket, whether in transition, or in half court sets. He is cable of driving both left and right, able to convert at a high frequency due to his strength and body control. Although he doesn’t get off the ground all that well, the freshman has shown the ability to maneuver himself in the air in order to avoid rotating defenders.
In terms of outside shooting, Dominique has proved that he can knock down three pointers with the best of them, hitting on a sizzling 42% of his attempts. Possessing very nice form and deep range, his shot can get streaky occasionally, as Jones has the tendency to bring the ball down below his waist before going into the shooting motion. The inconsistency of his shooting motion is fixable, and would certainly speed up his ability to get his long range jumper off in most situations.
Seeing heavy minutes at the point guard position for South Florida, Jones has had the chance to show off his playmaking skills and very nice court vision. It is not a problem for him to drive into the lane, draw two or three defenders, and then find the open man. Playing with a high basketball IQ, he tends to make very good decisions for a player who was thrown into the fire early on at point guard in the deepest conference in America. With that said, it is clear that Jones is not a natural point guard, and is looking to create for himself first and foremost when he has the ball in his hands.
Jones’ major weakness on the offensive end revolves around his lack of a mid-range game. In the numerous games that we observed, he did not take even pull-up for even one jump-shot off the dribble from mid-range. All of his scoring came in the way of drives to the rim or three pointers, making him a bit predictable to guard at times. Ball-handling is another area of Jones’ game that could stand to use some improvement, as he dribbles the ball quite high. He can get a little out of control at times with his wild dribble, but it is clear that proper off-season training could help fix these ball handling deficiencies.
On the defensive end, Jones applies great ball pressure out on the perimeter with his superior size and length. Often placed out front in USF’s zone, he gives defenders fits with his ball hawking ability in the passing lanes. Besides that, though, Jones is a pretty average defender. He struggles mightily guarding point guards, not possessing good enough lateral quickness to stay in front of them. Jones does a little better job of guarding shooting guards, but is still nowhere near what you would call a stopper. Also displaying inconsistent effort on this side of the floor, he struggles to get through pick and rolls and contest opposing players’ shot when rotating.
Nothing can be taken away from the excellent year that Jones is having, establishing himself as a near lock to make the All-Big East Freshman Team. He is still a ways away from being considered an immediate draft prospect, but has already cemented himself as one of the better young players the conference has to offer.
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