Posted on: December 10, 2020 Posted by: Glacier Staff Comments: 0

By Joshua Yeo, Sports Editor Intern & JRN 111 Student

Trevon Jones’ love for basketball is enormous. His love for school is too.

Jones is a first-time basketball recruit at Moraine Valley Community College. He’s a sophomore who’s looking to make big strides in his second year with the team.

Jones made his decision to join the team after heavy interest from the basketball coaches. The choice wasn’t tough for him because he’s always cherished the sport and respected the greats. He saw this opportunity as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to show his talents, as few players were selected to make the team.

Jones shows up to practice every day and puts in the work his coaches ask of him.

His coaches love him for that. 

“It’s been cool, coaches were calling me up to campus about the basketball program to see what I bring as a player and also academically,” Jones said.

Basketball legend Michael Jordan is Jones’ favorite player because of his intensity and meaningful team chemistry building skills. Jones emulates Jordan’s leadership on and off the court. He knew his time to make an impression wouldn’t take long, so he decided to set the tone, hanging out with teammates after practice on the weekends.

Jones highly values team chemistry time because COVID has interrupted when he and his teammates work out.

“I haven’t played any games this year at all, but since the team wasn’t together there wasn’t time to build chemistry, so it’s been rough,” Jones said. “We had one workout where the full team was there, but after that it’s been divided into workouts separated by position which doesn’t help the point guards and centers build chemistry.”

After an impressive freshman season, Trevon Jones looks to continue to grow as a leader for the MV basketball team.

Recruits like Jones have worked extra hard to reach this point, trusting the process and working with coaches to make the process go smoothly. Jones met his coaches for the second time in a week and already saw their honesty as they spoke to all of the players about what to expect this season. 

Athletes need to have a lot of heart to withstand coaches being truthful, but most players appreciate the realness with which the coaches can connect to the players. Building team chemistry and having respect for everyone helps set the standard for a winning team’s habits.

“I like them; some of them are brutally honest, but it’s ok,” Jones said about his coaches. “When they’re honest you know what they expect, which brings out the best in everybody. I expect a good season.”

Jones wants to measure up to all of the excitement this season.

Bringing fans back into the stands for the start of this season is one of the players’ top hopes, including Jones’. Having a successful season doesn’t happen without fans supporting and being the voice players hear to cheer them on. Similar to the NBA bubble, fans bring excitement and energy into the players, good or bad.

Worry that fans and supporters can’t be in attendance has a few players concerned about if the season can even play out. Being connected with health officials and following the safety rules helps everyone stay safe and avoid the risk of spreading the virus. Jones is fully in support of these measures because he doesn’t want to miss any more playing time in his college career.

“Because of COVID, our fans are paying more attention to the season because it’s basketball.” expressed Jones. “Fans shouldn’t expect a lot this year even though they bring energy to the game. I don’t think this year we should have fans because that could be the reason our season gets cancelled and I prefer that not to happen. I think it will still be great to have a small crowd.”

Jones wants to make the most of this season, staying safe of course and doing what is necessary to make this team great. He is confident that his efforts will be more than enough, playing every second with an underdog mentality.