SAN ANTONIO -- It took five years for DeVante’ Jones to reach the NCAA Tournament. It took five seconds for the opportunity to be taken away.
Michigan’s starting point guard took an inadvertent elbow to the nose at a practice last Monday (March 14) that caused a concussion, did not travel with the rest of the team to Indianapolis, and did not play in the NCAA Tournament opener against Colorado State that Thursday.
After spending the past four seasons at Coastal Carolina failing to get an invitation to the Big Dance, it was crushing.
Spoiler alert: The story has a (mostly) happy ending.
Michigan, an 11 seed, beat 6 seed Colorado State. With Jones back in the starting lineup, the Wolverines upset 3 seed Tennessee on Saturday.
As result, Michigan will play 2 seed Villanova on Thursday in a Sweet 16 matchup at AT&T Center in San Antonio. Jones made the trip, practiced on Tuesday and Wednesday, and is expected to play.
The shot to the face last week inflicted physical and emotional pain. Jones knew right away it would cost him a chance to compete in his first March Madness. “Probably like five seconds after it happened, honestly,” Jones said on Wednesday inside AT&T Center, his first interview since Michigan began its NCAA Tournament journey. He laughed about it on Wednesday, but it was no joke at the time.
“Right when it happened, my head felt like crazy and things like that,” he said. “I just didn’t feel normal, so I just knew that I would probably be out for the first game.”
He’d started all 31 of Michigan’s games to that point, and was first on the team in assists (4.6 per game) and third in points (10.7).
“At first it was a little bit emotional for me, but then I got myself together,” Jones said. At his home in Ann Arbor, watching on TV in a dark room, he watched Michigan overcome a 15-point first-half deficit to beat Colorado State 75-63. “The first half I was kind of nervous,” he said. “It was playing on my emotions. Second half, they got together, and I was excited they won.”
He added: “Obviously I want to play here in March Madness, but the time I was just so happy for my teammates being able to win through that type of adversity.”
Freshman Frankie Collins, Jones’ mentee all season, filled in at point guard and had a career performance. Jones joined the Wolverines at practice the following day and started on Saturday against Tennessee. After playing 12 first-half minutes, however, he did not return from the locker room after halftime. Collins again played heavy minutes and Michigan won 76-68.
It’s unclear exactly what Jones’ issue was during the Tennessee game. “I can’t say too much,” he said on Wednesday. “I just wasn’t feeling my 100-percent self, and I didn’t want to be selfish to the team because I knew we had a guard like Frankie Collins who could come in and get the job done, and that’s what he did.”
Indeed, Collins was impressive. “On the big stage in the NCAA Tournament, he didn’t look like a freshman,” Michigan head coach Juwan Howard said. “He looked like he belongs, which he does.”
The idea is that Michigan will have both point guards available against Villanova’s perimeter-heavy attack.
It’s a blessing for Jones and his parents, Felicia and Troy, who weren’t in Indianapolis but made the nine-drive from New Orleans to San Antonio on Tuesday. (This year’s Final Four, by the way, is in New Orleans. Michigan is two wins away.)
“Right now he’s looking good,” Howard said of Jones after Wednesday’s practice. “He’s improved a lot with his health. We will know more tomorrow morning as far as how he feels when it comes to recovery as he wakes up. But I keep my fingers crossed, and we’re praying that he will be available for tomorrow.”
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After emotional, injury-filled start to NCAA Tournament, Michigan’s DeVante’ Jones is ready for Villanova - MLive.com
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