College basketball

Jones' impact more than stats

By GREG AUMAN
Published December 10, 2005

TAMPA - Solomon Jones played a dominating game in USF's 77-52 win Tuesday at Stetson, but what impressed coach Robert McCullum wasn't his 15 points, his eight rebounds, or even his six blocks, which matched a career high.

It was a simple pass inside, long after the game was out of reach, to freshman forward Zaronn Cann, who hadn't scored a point in limited play as he recovers from offseason knee surgery.

"He's doing stuff in small ways to show his leadership," McCullum said of his 6-foot-10 senior center. "He realized Zaronn needs some game experience, and when he got the basketball, he quickly threw the ball right inside to Zaronn. It was a great play. It seemed very small, but his mind-set of, "Hey, let's get him the ball, let's get his confidence up,' I thought that really said a lot about Sol's leadership."

Jones has shined for the Bulls in a 4-2 start, as a post presence and leader on a team reduced to six players by injuries. He didn't register a double-double last season for USF, but averages one through six games, with 14.5 points and 10.2 rebounds. He also leads the Big East with 3.8 blocks and leads the Bulls by hitting 83.8 percent of his free-throw attempts.

"I'm taking on a new role, trying to be a go-to man, me and (senior guard James Holmes)," Jones said. "It's kind of hard. It's something you just have to work on every day. I have my teammates keeping me going, keeping me focused. Anywhere I go, I just come to play."

McCullum credits Jones' strong start to the work he put in all summer, something he missed a year ago, when he wasn't cleared to play for USF until Oct. 5, less than two weeks before the start of practice. This summer, he made up for the lost time, adding about 20 pounds of muscle for a more sturdy 225-pound frame.

"He's lived in the weight room. He's improved his eating habits. He's grown up so much," McCullum said. "It's been a remarkable period of growth for him. He's improved so much from last season, and (he and Holmes) have clearly stepped up and taken on those leadership roles."

Jones will have his biggest challenge of the young season today as the Bulls play host to Michigan (6-0) and junior Courtney Sims, a 6-11, 245-pound center who had a career-best 33 points and 13 rebounds Wednesday in a win against Delaware State. The Wolverines lead the Big Ten in rebounding margin, and Sims leads his team in scoring (17.0 points) and blocks (1.33).

Blocks have been Jones' forte - in a season and six games at USF, he's already fifth on the school's career list - and he had two on one possession Tuesday against the Hatters, something he likes because of the way it sparks his teammates.

"I'm trying to get some momentum. They told me that really gets them going, so I was trying to do that for them," said Jones, who had 64 blocks last season after transferring from Daytona Beach Community College.

Continuing his strong play in the Big East won't be easy, but Jones already has shown steady improvement, and it has inspired his teammates to work harder themselves.

"He put in a lot of work this summer, getting faster, getting stronger, and you see how that helps," Holmes said.

Jones has put up big numbers without the luxury of a true backup, averaging 35.3 minutes per game. Freshman Frane Markusovic, the only other center on the roster, made his season debut against Stetson, but the Bulls will lean heavily on Jones for as many minutes as possible.

That makes his physical conditioning all the more important, and it is crucial that Jones avoid foul trouble; he led the Bulls with 101 fouls last season, fouling out of six games. But McCullum doesn't want him to be too tentative, which is a fine line to tread.

"A game or two ago, there's a couple minutes to go in the first half and he only had one foul," McCullum said. "I said, "Listen, you've got to be more aggressive,' and he picks up his second foul. He ended up with four (early in the second half), and he sat 11 minutes. But he's learning."

[Last modified December 10, 2005, 00:52:07]