Hartland graduate Vonn Jones is already making a name for himself on the JUCO (Junior College) level, and is soon hoping that will help him transition to a division one college.
Jones hopes that it's Central Michigan University.
"I'm open to going anywhere, but I wanna go to Central," Jones said. "It's closer to home and I've been talking to coach (Darren) Khone (CMU assistant coach), since my junior year at Hartland and we have a good relationship."
Central Michigan is currently 3-10 and suffered a 26 point loss in their last game against the UNLV Runnin' Rebels.
They could use some help.
Jones, currently a sophomore for the Lamar State College Seahawks in Beaumont, TX, has helped acclimate the once desolate team into a winning program, and may be able to do the same for the Chippewas.
Before Jones and current head coach Matt Cross came aboard the team had no history of winning and had never had a winning season. The season before the two came on board they finished with just two wins and 17 losses in the conference.
Righting the ship came quickly for the duo though. They finished the season with a 20-10 record and made the Region 14 playoffs before finally suffering defeat in the semi-finals of the tournament.
The Hawks play in the Texas Eastern Conference, which sends four players out of five every year to the next level (Division 1).
"Vonn is a sophomore and has started ever since he came on campus," Cross said. "Vonn, a three star recruit, was a good sign for us, I had just taken the job at this school and we had just completed our first year of Division 1 JUCO basketball in the best JUCO conference."
Being 1,321 miles from home, Jones had to make some adjustments.
"The biggest thing is the time involved in the daily preparation of what it takes to play on a college level." Cross added. "Trying to get accustomed to all the hours you have to put in to play in a college game and produce at a high level. That combined with being on your own for the first time and having to balance the academics and college life is hard."
Vonn said that the hardest thing for him is being away from his family and his home.
Jones has transitioned well and was one of two freshmen to make the All-Region XIV list as an honorable mention. He holds two Lamar State records for Men's basketball: Most assists in a season (185) and assists in a game (13) against Victoria College, both records were made as a freshman.
During his sophomore campaign the Seahawks have built an 8-1 record and are ranked 28th in the country at the JUCO level.
Jones is currently averaging 11.8 points per game, has made 30 3-point shots and leads his team in assists with 104, averaging 7.42 per game. He averages just 2.9 turnovers per game, to put that into perspective; Michael Jordan averaged 2.73 a game and Erving "Magic" Johnson averaged 3.9 per game, both in their NBA careers.
"Offensively, he's as good as it gets in JUCO as a true point guard," Cross said. "He can make players around him better and the team entire team better when he's on the court. The thing that separates him is that he can score from anywhere. He has great range."
Jones ranked second in the state of Michigan his senior year at Harland in 3-point shot average with 51 percent of his shots going in and had 77 3-point shots that season. To go along with his accolades at Lamar State, Jones was also nominated as a McDonald's All-American and lost in the semi-final round of voting.
Hartland head coach Frank Leppek conveyed the same message as Cross: "He makes everyone around him better."
"I just try to do the same thing and get all my players involved no matter who it is. I see the floor really good and that helps me out a lot." Jones said.
During his senior year as an Eagle the team averaged 77 points a game and once scored 105 points in a contest.
Leppek and Cross share another philosophy too.
"They both just want to win," Jones said. "They both run the same kind of offense in that they try to push the ball up the court. The only difference is that we have spots on the court we go to now."
Cross said the only part of Vonns' game that needs work is defense, but added that most recruiters worry about offense more.
"He played for me for three years. Just a great young man. Very pleasant, you get to know Vonn and you would think he was your best friend." Leppek said. "He's a very savvy basketball player, he looks to his other players first. Vonn led this team very well."
Jones averaged 19 points per game while at Hartland.
Jones didn't come to Hartland until his sophomore year after he moved with Chris Cagle.
Cagle was his AAU coach from sixth-to-eight grade and during his freshman year of high school the Cagle's became his legal guardians.
"We built a relationship. He needed structure and wanted to have a better education. His Mom came to me and asked if we wanted to be his guardians and we did," Cagle said. "He had lived with us for several summers. I coached him for two years before he came and lived with us full-time."
Chris' son, Chris Jr., played for the same AAU team -- the Michigan Road Runners -- and he and Chris Jr. became close friends. The two graduated the same year from Hartland and played basketball and football together.
"Chris (Sr.) helps push me and helped me through AAU, high school and now college," Jones said.
Chris' other son, Nelson, is currently a freshman at Hartland and scored five points in the Eagles last win over Detroit City.
"I go shoot around with him (Nelson), I do the same thing that his Dad did for me, I push him and try to make him better."
"He had rules and to do the same thing as the rest of my kids. All gotta behave, all do chores and all be a part of the family." Cagle said. "He's maturing to a college player and student athlete, it's been a good thing for him to be on his own. He was with us and we're a very family oriented family and do a lot with our kids, and now he's over 1,000 miles away and he's fending for himself."
Cagle added that "It's good he's matured nicely and he's doing well. I'm hoping he continues to have a good rest of the season and he has an opportunity at the next level.
Jones will know his future school in a few months, and he's hoping it's Central.
"I want to see if I can come back so everyone can come watch me play at Central."
