When Duke defeated Arizona in the 2001 Final Four, Dahntay Jones watched from the bench, forced to sit out the year after transferring from Rutgers. That year, Jones's role was only a vocal one, as the Trenton, N.J., native would often shout encouragement from courtside.
Last season, the situation was reversed, as Jones averaged 28.9 minutes per game, but watched as tri-captains Jason Williams, Mike Dunleavy and Carlos Boozer served as the team's vocal leaders.
Now, as a senior, Jones will have to combine his leadership and playmaking abilities. When Mike Dunleavy's departure for the NBA left Jones as one of only two returning starters, he realized that he would need to become a more integral component of Duke's offense this year. And although Chris Duhon serves as the team's lone captain, Jones knows that he too will need to mentor the team's younger players.
"I spent my summer dedicating my life to basketball," Jones said. "I'm trying to get ready to be a constant part of the team this year, so I can be there offensively, defensively and as a leader."
From an offensive standpoint, Jones has already made a statement. He scored 28 points while shooting 10-for-15 from the floor in the Blue-White Scrimmage. His defensive play during the game was even more impressive, as he effectively shut down freshman guard J.J. Redick, holding him to two points and a 1-for-8 shooting performance.
"He's been an outstanding player for us," head coach Mike Krzyzewski said of Jones following the Blue-White Scrimmage. "He's driving the ball with intelligence. He's certainly defending. He was on J.J. [Redick] the whole time. J.J. couldn't get open looks. J.J.'s not going to be guarded by many guys like that. [Jones] hit open shots and he hit his free throws well. He just has a good menu."
While Jones acknowledged that his offensive touches will likely increase, he noted that being a senior will demand a similar increase in his status as a leader. Such a scenario, Jones said, has encouraged him to be a role model for Duke's six freshmen.
"[Being a senior] helps me to be more vocal and be more of a leader because I have to help [the freshmen] and show them the way," Jones said. "It helps me assert myself more and be focused at all times."
So far, it seems to be working. Freshman Shelden Williams said that while Duhon is the team's captain, Jones is perfectly capable of keeping the team focused when the need arises.
"When Chris isn't on the court and Dahntay's in the game, Dahntay kind of takes over the role of being a captain," Williams said. "He will step it up and become a leader on the court."
As the team's only captain, Duhon said that having someone like Jones around has been a great help for him, as well.
"Dahntay's been great in helping me in my leadership role," Duhon said. "When I'm not on the court, he's being vocal and being a senior when he has to be. He's given guys another outlet--if they don't want to come to me they can definitely go to Dahntay."
Given all the changes in Jones's roles as a playmaker, defender and leader, this year is shaping up to be quite different from Jones's two previous years at Duke. The biggest change, however, may be the absence of someone whom Jones has known for a much longer time: childhood friend Jay Williams. Jones noted that while he was disappointed to lose Williams to the NBA, he believes that both he and Duke will be just fine without last season's national player of the year.
"It was good to be around him, but we have to move on, as every basketball team does," Jones said. "He's doing his own thing and we're doing ours. We just need to focus on the guys that are here now. It's not going to be a step down just because Jason's not here. We're still good friends and we'll continue to be good friends, even in his absence."
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