Jones Helps Squad To Portsmouth Invitational Title

[Brad]

Courtesy USF SID Office

Jones Helps Squad To Portsmouth Invitational Title

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (April 10, 2006) – Former University of South Florida men’s basketball player Solomon Jones helped lead the Portsmouth Sports Club to the championship of the 2006 Portsmouth Invitational this past weekend.

The event features 64 of the nation’s top seniors and is one of two major showcases for those athletes eligible for the National Basketball Association Draft.  The eight-team field competed for three days and Jones’ squad defeated Holiday Inn Portsmouth 104-88 for the championship.

Jones’ three-game weekend included a pair of double-doubles, allowing him to average 14.0 points and 9.7 rebounds while shooting 63.6 percent from the floor.  He chipped in 16 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks in the title game in just 24 minutes of action.

The 6-10, 235-pound center finished eighth among all players in scoring and third in rebounding.  His field goal percentage was also third-best in the field.

An estimated 200 professional scouts from around the world attended the event and Jones’ performance will hopefully earn him an invitation to the second pre-draft camp in June, which has moved to Orlando.

Jones was an Honorable Mention All-BIG EAST selection for the Bulls in 2005-06 after averaging 13.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game.  He concluded the year with 13 double-doubles and was ranked among the national leaders in blocked shots and rebounds.

[OracleCamunas]

Jones improves draft stock

April 10, 2006

By: Kevin Smetana

Andre Hall isn't the only USF athlete spending his spring trying to improve his draft stock.

Solomon Jones, who is trying to become the first Bull since Chucky Atkins in 1999 to make it to the NBA, helped lead his team to a championship Saturday at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (PIT) in Virginia.

With more than 200 NBA scouts in attendance and 64 of college basketball's best players taking part, Jones scored in double figures in all three games, including 16 in the championship game.

"My whole mentality was to just go out and play well. I really wasn't looking to score the ball, but it happened," Jones said. "I was just looking to run the floor hard, rebound and block shots."

Jones, who nearly averaged a double-double in the tournament (14 points and 9.7 rebounds), made the all-tournament team and talked to scouts from the Utah Jazz and Charlotte Bobcats.

"From what I heard from NBA people, Solomon really helped himself," PIT chairman Mahlon Parker said. "I do think he improved his stock, tremendously."

Jones is in the process of signing with an agent, and he'll continue to work out and train at USF until the NBA draft, which will be on June 28 in New York.

"From now on, I'm just going to go into a harder mode of working out. Starting this week, I'm just going to be training every day," Jones said. "No days off from here, there's no looking back."

If Jones gets drafted, he'll be the first player from USF to do so since Curtis Kitchen was drafted by Seattle in 1986. And because the draft is only two rounds now, Jones will become the first Bull to be drafted earlier than the third round. Atkins plays in the NBA but signed as a free agent.

Jones is confident he'll be drafted, and he feels his performances at the PIT helped him get closer to achieving that goal.

"It was a good opportunity, and I just made the best of it," Jones said. "I have a good sense that (making it to the NBA) will happen for me."

http://media.www.usforacle.com/media/storage/paper880/news/2006/04/10/Sports/Jones.Improves.Draft.Stock-1803474.shtml?sourcedomain=www.usforacle.com&MIIHost=media.collegepublisher.com

[SouthFLBully]

Courtesy USF SID Office

Jones Helps Squad To Portsmouth Invitational Title

Jones’ three-game weekend included a pair of double-doubles, allowing him to average 14.0 points and 9.7 rebounds while shooting 63.6 percent from the floor.  He chipped in 16 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks in the title game in just 24 minutes of action.

An estimated 200 professional scouts from around the world attended the event and Jones’ performance will hopefully earn him an invitation to the second pre-draft camp in June, which has moved to Orlando.

That is the best news I have read on this site for a good long while!  Go Solomon!  

Are the games ticketed events?  Because I would love to go and cheer for SJ if he is invited to Orlando.  As a matter of fact we should all make our presence felt if he does.

[USFan]

Great news!

[Rabbi Bull]

i'm with bigbullsogold

[RHBullsFan]

so happy to see this for Solomon. He is slated as a high second round pick on draftexpress.com

Who would have thought with BB, Altron, Big Will, and others, that Solomon Jones might be he one to end the  drought.

[South_Florida_Flip]

Who would have thought with BB, Altron, Big Will, and others, that Solomon Jones might be he one to end the  drought.

His progress from last season to this season was tremendous. Leather also showed great progress as well. That's a sign of good coaching.

[BULLfreak]

I hope he gets a shot at the NBA

[RHBullsFan]

Draftexpress.com has Solomon Jones slated as the 37th overall pick. That's just 7 picks into the second round. There hasn't been a USF player predicted to be drafted this high in YEARS. Even if they are way off, it looks like he will still get drafted. They have been very complimentary of his Portsmouth performance.

http://draftexpress.com/mock.php?y=2006