Eshaunte Jones will join the NKU men's basketball team this season.
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky University men's basketball coach
Dave Bezold has landed University of Nebraska transfer Eshaunte Jones for the 2011-12 season.
Jones, a 6-foot-4 guard, averaged 4.1 points per game at Nebraska last season as the Cornhuskers posted a 19-13 record. He played in 28 games and averaged 12.4 minutes per contest in 2010-11.
Jones was 27-for-80 (.338) from 3-point range last season and also averaged 1.4 rebounds per game. Two years ago as a freshman, he averaged 6.0 points per game, including a career-high 21 against Brigham Young.
Jones also made 43.5 percent of his shots from beyond the arc as a freshman. He will have two years of eligibility remaining at NKU.
“Eshaunte is a very strong player who can get to the basket, but he is also an outstanding shooter from the perimeter,” Bezold said. “He played against very good competition while at Nebraska, and we think he can really step in and be an impact player.”
A native of Fort Wayne, Ind., Jones averaged 28 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals per contest for North Side High School as a senior. He earned a spot on the Indiana All-Star team as one of the top 12 players in the state.
Jones finished his career as the school's all-time scoring leader with 1,759 points. He was named the area player of the year by the Fort Wayne News Sentinel and the Journal Gazette and was a McDonald's All-America nominee as a senior. Jones was ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 31 shooting guard nationally and was a four-star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com.
Jones originally signed with Oregon State in the 2007 early signing period. He was released from his commitment following a coaching change and ended up at Nebraska. Jones also attended Hargrave Military Academy (Va.) for one season following high school. He averaged 15.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest over the first 12 games of the 2007-08 season.
NKU posted a 21-9 record last season and advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament.
