Wildcat’s freshman forward Dillon Jones was named the Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year on March 5.
The Columbia, South Carolina native averaged 8.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals for WSU this season.
BIG SKY FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR!
Congratulations @drizzydj23! 👏https://t.co/A74TWNflfu#PurpleReign #WeAreWeber #BigSkyMBB pic.twitter.com/UBulCW77E4
— Weber State Men’s Basketball (@WeberStateMBB) March 8, 2021
Jones scored his season-high 18 points on March 4, in a win over Northern Colorado where he also grabbed nine rebounds.
Making plays tonight 🔥@drizzydj23 #PurpleReign #WeAreWeber #BigSkyMBB pic.twitter.com/uFMrSAbE1D
— Weber State Men’s Basketball (@WeberStateMBB) March 5, 2021
“I work very hard, so I mean what I do in the game is just a testament to who I am every day. I get my reps I work hard, I do whatever coach asks of me,” Jones said. “But credit to my coaches because they put me in positions to be successful.”
He’s become a Wildcat fan favorite at the Dee Events Center with his tenacious defense and unique rebounding ability.
“When I was younger I knew I was never going to get the ball like that, so I just knew I’d have to do everything else,” Jones said of his style of play. “Like get rebounds steals and do whatever it takes to stay on the floor cause I like to play.”
Before Jones arrived in Ogden he averaged 12.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists for Keenan High School in South Carolina his junior year.
He played four years of varsity basketball for the Raiders beginning in the eighth grade.
Jones transferred to Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas for his senior season.
The Buffaloes were ranked the No.5 high school basketball team in the country before COVID ended the team’s season in March 2020.
Jones committed to the Wildcats in April and told the Standard-Examiner, “I spoke to Coach (Randy) Rahe like daily, and that spoke volumes. What really stood out was the plan they had for me.”
Jones and the Wildcats are in pursuit of a Big Sky Championship in Boise, Idaho.
WSU takes on Montana in the Big Sky quarterfinals on March 11.
