Joseph Jones (basketball) facts for kids

Joseph CostelloReshawn Jones, born on March 21, 1986, is an American college basketball coach and former player. He played college basketball for Texas A&M from 2004 to 2008. After college, he spent 14 years playing professional basketball in other countries. Today, he is an assistant coach for the UTSA Roadrunners team in the AAC.

Joseph Jones's Early Life

Joseph Jones was born on March 21, 1986, in Normangee, Texas. His parents are D.C. Nealey and Betty Jones.

High School Basketball Star

At Normangee High School, Joseph was an amazing basketball player.

• He was chosen as a first-team All-State player in his sophomore, junior, and senior years.
• In his senior year, he averaged 22.4 points and 15.1 rebounds per game.
• He helped his team achieve an impressive 37–2 record, winning their last 23 games.
• His team made it to the Class A Division I championship game.
• Joseph was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in that championship game. He scored 21 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, and blocked 5 shots.

Experts noticed his talent. HoopScoop ranked him as the 86th best prospect in the country. Rivals.Com called him the 12th best player for his position.

Choosing a College Team

Many top universities wanted Joseph to play for them. These included Kansas, Texas, University of Arkansas, and Texas Tech. However, Joseph decided to sign with Texas A&M University to play under coach Melvin Watkins.

Joseph Jones's College Career

Joseph Jones played college basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies.

Freshman Year Success (2004-2005)

Before Joseph started at Texas A&M, a new coach, Billy Gillispie, took over the team. Joseph decided to stick with his commitment to A&M. He quickly made a big impact.

• In his first college game, he scored 10 points and had 10 rebounds.
• He started all 31 games that season.
• He was second on the team in scoring, with 12.7 points per game.
• Joseph led the Aggies in rebounds (7.3 per game), field goal percentage (.577), and blocked shots (39).
• He achieved seven "double-doubles" (scoring double digits in two categories like points and rebounds). This was the most for any freshman in the Big 12 conference.
• He scored 10 or more points in 23 games.
• He set a new A&M freshman record by making 103 free throws.

Because of his great performance, Joseph received honorable mention All-Big 12 honors. He was also named to the Big-12 All-Freshman team. CollegeInsider.Com also put him on their Freshman All-America team.

Joseph helped the Aggies win against Clemson in the first round of the NIT. He scored a career-high 25 points in that game.

Sophomore Year Highlights (2005-2006)

As a sophomore, Joseph started every game. He averaged 15.3 points and a team-best 6.5 rebounds.

• In one game against the University of Texas, he scored 31 points. This was the most points an Aggie player had scored in Austin since 1963.
• He tied two Big 12 records in that game: for field goals in a half (9 of 11) and for most consecutive shots (9 straight).
• Joseph also made the game-winning shot against Oklahoma State, an 8-foot jumper with one second left.
• Against North Texas, he scored a career-high 35 points and had a career-high 13 rebounds.

Joseph was among the top 10 players in the conference for both scoring and rebounding. He earned second-team All-Big 12 honors and was named to the second-team Academic All-Big 12.

The Aggies made it to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1987. They won their first game against Syracuse. In the second round against LSU, the Aggies were up by two points with 18 seconds left. However, LSU's Glen Davis made a three-point shot, and the Aggies lost.

Junior Year Achievements (2006-2007)

Expectations were high for Joseph's junior season. He and teammate Acie Law IV were named to the John R. Wooden pre-season All-American watch list. The team was ranked Number 13 in the pre-season AP poll, and later reached Number 6, which was the highest rank the school had ever achieved.

Even with some knee problems, Joseph was a key player. He averaged 13.2 points and a team-best 6.4 rebounds per game. He was an aggressive player, leading the team in fouls.

The Aggies were often ranked in the top 10 this season.

• On February 3, 2007, Joseph's Aggies made history. They became the first Big 12 South team to beat the Number 6 Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse in 32 attempts.
• Two days later, they beat their rivals, Number 25 Texas, 100–82. This was their 21st straight home win, making them the sole leader of the Big 12.

The Aggies were the number two seed for the Big 12 Conference Tournament but were eliminated early. However, they received a Number 3 seed in the South region for the 2007 NCAA Tournament.

• In their first game against Penn, Joseph had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. He helped the team take the lead with two dunks. The Aggies won 68–52.
• In a tough second-round game against Louisville, Joseph scored 12 points, had 8 rebounds, and 3 steals. The Aggies won 72–69, reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1980.

Senior Year and Graduation (2007-2008)

Joseph Jones was featured on the front cover of Sports Illustrated on November 15, 2007, along with Texas Longhorns player D. J. Augustin. Joseph finished his studies at A&M a semester early.

Joseph Jones's Professional Career

After college, Joseph Jones played professional basketball for 14 years in different countries.

Starting in the NBA Summer League

In 2008, Joseph joined the Houston Rockets for their Summer League team. This team played five games against other NBA teams from July 14–20, 2008.

Playing Overseas

• From 2008 to 2009, he played for Oyak Renaul Bursa in the Turkish Basketball League. He was the team's second-highest scorer, averaging 13.9 points per game.
• He then spent two years in France with STB Le Havre (2009–2011).
• After that, he played one year in Israel with Hapoel Gilboa Galil (2011–2012).
• In 2012, Joseph signed with the Spanish team CAI Zaragoza.
• In September 2014, he signed with Hapoel Jerusalem in Israel.
• On October 19, 2016, Joseph signed with Azad University Tehran.
• On February 21, 2017, he moved to the French club Limoges CSP.

Joseph Jones's Coaching Career

In January 2021, Joseph Jones became an assistant coach at Tarleton State University. He worked under his former A&M coach, Billy Gillispie.

• In November 2023, when Coach Gillispie took a break for health reasons, Joseph Jones was named the acting head coach for the Tarleton State Texans.
• Since 2024, he has been an assistant coach for the UTSA Roadrunners.

Joseph Jones's Personal Life

Joseph Jones got married in 2012. He and his wife have two children.

See also

In Spanish: Joseph Jones (baloncestista) para niños