Getty Image
It took all of one day into the new season for college basketball to deliver the story of the year.
Texas redshirt sophomore guard Andrew Jones was diagnosed with leukemia in January of 2018 and had been undergoing chemotherapy treatments up until September of this year. He has since rejoined the team and during the team’s season opener against Northern Colorado, he scored a career-high 20 points in 29 minutes of action.
Jones’ previous career-high of 19 points came about a month before he was diagnosed with cancer, which at that point he was actually leading the team in scoring as a freshman. He did make two appearances a season ago while still undergoing treatment, but Tuesday night’s game had a different feel to it to say the least.
Everything was clicking for Jones as he came in off the bench and pretty much took the game into his own hands.
Jones finished the night 8-for-13 from the field including hitting four of five three-pointers to go along with three rebounds and two assists.
Head coach Shaka Smart hyped up his guard following the game calling him the best offensive player on the court.
“I’m happy for Andrew, I’m happy for his family. Sometimes in life, when you are dealt a tough hand, it’s really about how you respond. He was the best offensive player on the floor. He played with great energy. He played with an aggressive, confident and loose mindset.”
Jones was at a loss of words following his big night.
Sports deliver great stories pretty much on a week-to-week basis, but Jones’ return to the Longhorns rotation and putting on that kind of performance is flat-out unbelievable. It should go down as one of the best sports stories of the year and most definitely a top story in college hoops.