As expected, Michigan Wolverines guard DeVante' Jones, a Coastal Carolina transfer, has pulled out of consideration for the NBA Draft and will join Michigan next season, TheWolverine.com has confirmed.
Jones, a 6-1 guard, played well at the NBA G-League Elite Camp, but he didn't earn an NBA Combine invite. He scored 15 points to lead his team in the first of two games at the camp but struggled in the second.
He got the better of former Michigan guard Mike Smith in the first game. He and Smith went head-to-head down the stretch and traded some friendly words.
“I thought he played really well,” Smith said of Jones. “He’s going to be a really good player for Michigan next year if he decides to come back. He controlled the game, played really good defense, made some tough shots at the end and made some free throws.
“He’s going to be a really good piece. Coach Howard [and his staff] always does a really good job recruiting. They got me there, too. He’s a great fit and is going to be a great Michigan guard, for sure.”
Jones averaged 19.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.9 rebounds last season. Though he looked more combo that point guard, he'll have an opportunity to start at the point for the Wolverines this year.
Jones improved his NBA stock, but now he'll continue to try to do that even more at Michigan. Chaundee Brown and Co. have told him what to expect, and he understands he’ll have to continue to up his game.
“I just know it’s going to be way different than what it’s been,” he said. “Every practice is going to be a hard practice trying to get each other better, pushing each other each and every day. You’ve got to bring energy.
“But knowing it’s Juwan Howard … he knows the pro system very well, so he’s going to try to help me with that. We’re going to bring the mentality that we want to win each and every day.”
Watch for more on this development in the hours to come ...
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