'Time is right now' for Duke's Matt Jones

Sophomore Matt Jones had a career-high 17 points in Sunday's 90-60 victory against No. 10 Notre Dame.
Sophomore Matt Jones had a career-high 17 points in Sunday's 90-60 victory against No. 10 Notre Dame.

We read it, we said it, and we lost sleep over it: Who is going to score off the Duke bench now that Rasheed Sulaimon is gone? How can you replace a 6-foot-5 Texan with a solid 3-point stroke and good defensive chops?

How about with a 6-foot-5 Texan with a solid 3-point stroke and good defensive chops?

Yes, the answer to the Duke faithful's prayers is none other than Matt Jones. And after the sophomore poured in a career-high 17 points in No. 4 Duke's 90-60 throttling of No. 10 Notre Dame Saturday afternoon at Cameron Indoor Stadium, it doesn't appear as if Jones will be the subject of much derision any time soon.

Jones has earned his role as the team's new sixth man. In three games since Sulaimon was dismissed, Jones is averaging an even 12.0 points per game compared to the 11.6 points Sulaimon and Jones averaged combined this season while Sulaimon was on the team. Jones is shooting 51.9 percent from the floor and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc in the post-Sulaimon era, both much greater than his percentages with Sulaimon in the fold.

And due to this recent explosion, fans across the nation are shaking their heads in agreement with Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey when he asks, "Where did Matt Jones come from...?"

The dirty little secret is that Jones has been hiding right under our noses all season. Let us not forget that the DeSoto, Tx., product looked like he might be slated to be a starter in early November, with Quinn Cook coming off the bench behind him through the exhibition season. He earned a start against N.C. State Jan. 11, albeit in a game most Duke fans wish to forget. The truth is, he's just been quietly paying his dues, waiting for the right time to come. With Sulaimon in the rearview mirror, that time is now.

"I just knew I had to step up," Jones said. "And I’m starting to get back to my old ways—being more confident in myself and scoring the ball more, and just trying to affect the game in a lot more areas. I’m getting that chance now and I’m just trying to make the most of it.”

It is truly amazing what a little bit of confidence can do for a basketball player. Jones candidly explained to reporters about all the doubts he had about his own abilities over the past year and a half. For a player who was drawing Ray Allen comparisons coming out of high school, it must have been hard for Jones to fathom telling reporters Saturday, “It is like a sigh of relief to feel good about yourself on the offensive end and not be that liability anymore," two years ago.

Despite a lot of misfiring from beyond the arc and ill-fated drives to the basket, Jones kept his chin up and kept going to the gym, working harder and harder to be the player he knew he could be, all while refocusing his in-game energy on his defense.

"He’s making a ton of plays all over the court," freshman Grayson Allen said of Jones. "If you watch him, he’s just all over the place—getting steals, offensive rebounds. He never takes a play off, and he’s been really big for us stepping up. He’s playing a lot more minutes, and he’s been knocking down shots. I think that’s because of all the plays he’s making on the defensive end."

It's this dedication that has endeared Jones to his Hall-of-Fame head coach. Mike Krzyzewski has routinely sent Jones text messages after big wins during the course of their time together, telling him to stay ready, and that the team would need him one day. He'd tell him that in the future, Duke will be Matt Jones' team.

Krzyzewski unabashedly gushed about Jones postgame, which is a stark contrast to how he ever spoke of Sulaimon, even during Sulaimon's standout freshman season. Krzyzewski called Jones the consummate team player and a great competitor. He spoke of how Jones will do anything the coaching staff asks of him, and how all of his teammates love him.

After Saturday's dismantling of a top-10 team, the country finally sees the Matt Jones Krzyzewski has been cultivating for years. Fans now get to appreciate the confident Matt Jones and recognize his importance to the team just as much as Krzyzewski does.

"His time is right now," Krzyzewski said. "And thank goodness."

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