Lance Jones: Everything Purdue needed and more
By ZACH VOGT
ISL Contributor
The Purdue Men’s basketball program returned a lot of talent from the 2022-23 team. Those returning included National Player of the Year, Zach Edey, their starting backcourt in Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer, frontcourt depth in Mason Gillis, Trey Kaufman-Renn, and Caleb Furst, as well as veteran defensive presence in Ethan Morton.
Although a majority of the roster came back, there are still a lot of differences in this year’s squad:
Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer are no longer freshmen, and continue to improve.
Zach Edey is now leaner and quicker on his feet.
Trey Kaufman-Renn spent the summer becoming a more complete player.
They added star freshmen in Myles Colvin Jr. and Camden Heide.
But perhaps none of those differences have been more important than the addition of one man: Lance Jones.
So, who is Lance Jones?
Lance Jones is a 6-foot-1 guard from Evanston, Illinois, who spent the previous four seasons playing at Southern Illinois University (SIU). Over four seasons, Jones played a total of 119 games for SIU, while starting in 113 of them. He averaged 12.8 points per game at SIU, while adding about 3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
Jones announced his commitment to Purdue on April 19, 2023, and at the time, fans weren’t sure what impact he would make. There were a lot of high level names in the transfer portal at a position of need for Purdue, such as Max Abmas, Khalif Battle, Jalen Cook, etc. Jones’ name went so far under the radar that Purdue fans were underwhelmed by the commitment.
One thing Purdue fans need to learn and trust by now: Never doubt Matt Painter.
Purdue fell victim to yet another early upset in the NCAA Tournament last season, and it was largely due to a lack of athleticism at the guard position and a lack of play-making. There was optimism this issue would be fixed with the addition of Myles Colvin Jr., but Matt Painter wanted to be sure of it in the transfer portal.
Once again, enter Lance Jones.
Jones is a freakishly athletic guard who has proven he can beat his man off the dribble, or knock down big time 3’s when the team needs it. He is a tenacious defender who is averaging nearly 1.5 steals per game since joining the Boilermakers. He is everything Purdue was missing in a guard.
Behind the flashy play, the elite athleticism, and the defensive presence, Jones is a guy becoming a beloved member of the Purdue family, on and off the court.
A recent story published by the Big Ten’s “The Journey” dives into Lance Jones and his story, including why he ultimately chose Purdue. Lance and his mom, Katie, talked about his recruiting process in the portal, as well as the tragedy that occurred during his visit to Purdue. They recalled the moment Lance’s father, Robert, had a seizure during their visit. They spoke about how all of the players and staff on site dropped what they were doing immediately to help him. He was taken to the hospital, where they stayed from there. Lance’s mother spoke about a member of the Purdue coaching staff who stayed with her at the hospital the entire time until they got news that his father was okay.
It was that gesture from the Purdue staff member that made it certain to Jones’ family that that was where he needed to be. The world eventually lost Robert “Bob” Jones on Aug. 29, before he ever got a chance to see his son play in a Purdue uniform.
The entire team attended the funeral.
Lance Jones loves Purdue, and Purdue loves Lance Jones. He has embraced what it means to be a Boilermaker, and everything that comes with it. This was shown in a recent video posted by the Purdue social media team of Lance Jones dancing in sync with the Purdue crowd during their halftime ritual.
The video became a viral sensation across the college basketball landscape.
Lance Jones is a story of resilience, strength, love, and determination.
Lance Jones is someone that seems to be the missing piece to the puzzle for Matt Painter.
Lance Jones is everything Purdue needed, and so much more.
