Deuce Jones is no longer a member of the college basketball program at Saint Joseph’s. The reason for this unexpected announcement has yet to be announced by either party.
However, it seems like an NIL dispute could be part of the equation.
Not only did the Hawks lose their best college basketball player, a large portion of their fanbase wrote (and co-signed) a letter to the Board of Trustees calling for change. Are these two things related?
Deuce Jones is out.
Jones, a 6-foot-2, 170-pound guard, was a breakout star at La Salle last season as the A-10 Rookie of the Year. He entered the transfer portal as a rising sophomore.
Saint Joseph’s ultimately received his commitment at the end of April. Jones was supposed to be the piece who finally got the Hawks back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016 so the school — through its NIL arm — promised him a lot of money.
It was worth every penny through the first 10 games.
Jones was the team’s leading scorer, averaging 15.8 points on ~40% shooting with 4.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 26.8 minutes per game. He also hit a buzzer-beater against Temple.
THE SAINT JOSEPH'S HAWKS BEAT TEMPLE ON A BUZZER-BEATER THREE TO CLINCH THIRD PLACE IN THE BIG 5 CLASSIC!
— Nick Piccone (@_piccone) December 7, 2025
How it sounded on the Saint Joseph's Sports Radio Network (prepare your ears) pic.twitter.com/toNelUnDaT
And then it got weird.
Saint Joseph’s was without its best player in each of its last two games. He did not even show up to the gym. Head coach Steve Donahue said it was a “personal situation” but would not explain further.
I asked Saint Joseph’s coach Steve Donahue about Deuce Jones’ absence due to personal reasons.
— Aaron Bracy (@Aaron_Bracy) December 23, 2025
“It’s a personal situation.” pic.twitter.com/4TTvXFoASm
It was not an illness. It was not an injury.
NIL problems at Saint Joseph’s?
Less than 24 hours after the program played its second game without him, it officially announced the departure of Deuce Jones on Tuesday afternoon. He’s gone.
But why? Nobody knows.
Jones responded with a pair of emojis:
He also posted two photos:
A reason for the unexpected breakup has yet to be announced as of this writing but the lack of communication seems to tell a story. There is obviously something bigger at play here.
Perhaps Jones did something to violate team rules. So why not say that?
Maybe Jones decided not to play for the Hawks anymore. So why not say that?
The lack of explanation alludes to a financial dispute. That is the only thing I can think of that might make sense. It’s bizarre. And the timing is interesting.
A group of Saint Joseph’s supporters wrote a message to the university on X just a few hours before Deuce Jones’ departure was announced. It targeted financial failures.
We are long-standing supporters of Saint Joseph’s University,( @SJUHawks) including contributors through season tickets, annual giving, and program-specific donations. We give because we believe in the mission of the university and the historic importance of Men’s Basketball as a strategic institutional asset.
Over the past six years, however, donor confidence has been materially eroded by what we believe to be persistent mismanagement of the Men’s Basketball Program under the direction of the Athletic Department, overseen by Jill Bodensteiner. (No longer on X to avoid the noise.)
This concern is not driven by short-term performance fluctuations. It reflects a pattern of strategic, operational, and financial failures, including:
- The firing of @PhilMartelli without a coherent transition plan aligned to the program’s stature or alumni base.
- The hiring of Billy Lange and the subsequent refusal to move off that decision, even when it became evident to the broader fanbase that he was not capable of leading the program at this level.
- The handling of communication around Coach Lange’s abrupt and destructive departure weeks before the season began, let alone the organizations blind spot to the possibility of him leaving at such an unfortunate time.
- Ongoing and repeated loss of players to the transfer portal, directly contributing to diminished competitiveness and the erosion of NIL support funded by alumni from their own hard-earned resources.
- A persistent posture toward the fanbase that can only be described as “we know better than you,” paired with a refusal to openly address evident program deficiencies.
- The creation of an insider dynamic, where a small group of deep-pocket donors is selectively engaged while the broader donor and fan community is kept uninformed.
- Decimation of the fanbase and student engagement through rigid pricing, lack of competitive in-arena amenities, and failure to implement promotions consistent with peer programs in the Atlantic 10.
- A pattern of operating in secrecy, including a failure to provide timely or meaningful updates regarding personnel decisions and program direction.
- Outreach to donors that occurs only when additional funds are needed, despite a lack of confidence that such funds will be allocated effectively or responsibly.
The cumulative effect has been severe. Engagement has collapsed, apathy has replaced pride, and the trust that once underpinned donor generosity has been broken. This sentiment is not isolated. Discourse across X (formerly Twitter) and independent message boards is nearly unanimous in its frustration, anger, and disengagement with what was once regarded as one of the premier mid-major programs in college basketball.
— @jayohde
Accordingly, we are requesting an independent financial and operational review of the Men’s Basketball Program, including but not limited to spending decisions, personnel strategy, NIL alignment, and donor engagement practices over the past six years.
Until such a review is conducted and its findings transparently addressed, we will be pausing incremental donations and expanded financial commitments to the Men’s Basketball Program.
This position is taken respectfully, deliberately, and with the sole objective of restoring accountability, transparency, and confidence in a program that matters deeply to the university and its alumni.
Transparency is not adversarial.
It is essential.
If you are a SJU fan, or A10 fan that deserves better competition, and If you agree with this letter, please attach your name to it.
The post has since been shared more than 60 times. Whether it has to do with the current situation or not, the frustration is real. Saint Joseph’s supporters are fed up with how things went down in recent months. Losing Deuce Jones just a few days before the start of conference play does not help.