Iowa forward Dale Jones is back, and that’s a good thing for the Hawkeye basketball team.
By Jordan Hansen
Dale Jones’ return to Iowa not only this season but next is big for head coach Fran McCaffery’s program.
The NCAA recently announced Jones would be eligible for the 2017-18 season, which comes after he tore his ACL six games into last year. The 6-7 forward, who also showed a knack for hitting the outside shot, is returning close to full health.
“I feel great,” Jones said after Prime Time action (which he has not played in). “I just turned seventh months a couple days ago; it feels great, working out with the guys, doing everything I can except full contact.”
He could provide the eternally useful stretch-4 position, meaning he’s a big guy who is also considered a consistent scorer outside of the paint. While there was an extremely limited amount of time watching him at a Division-1 level, he flashed enough to show he could be a useful rotation player.
There really aren’t a whole lot of a big men on Iowa’s roster, which means there is some playing time to go around. Incoming freshman Tyler Cook will surely see minutes, as will 6-8 junior Dom Uhl and sophomore Nicholas Baer.
All bring different elements to the team, which wants to get out in transition. Jones seems to be the type of big man who would fit well into the system.
The Waterloo native isn’t massive at just 227 pounds, so it remains to be seen if he will be able to battle in the post with other, bigger Big Ten forwards. His shooting numbers sort of tell the tale — 20 of his 30 shots last year were from behind the arc.
He also tallied 3 rebounds per game in the six he played in, which means there could be a bit of talent in that area of his game as well. His defense also could use some work, though his shooting could make up for that part of his game.
Now that he has two seasons to work with, there is no rush to put him back on the court. He is well within range of playing during the season and will probably be back in action by the time practice begins. While Jones isn’t exactly sure if he’ll be ready, he knows to take his time.
“I’m looking at long-term here,” Jones said. “I’m not rushing anything, Coach McCaffery doesn’t want me to rush anything; that’s why I’m not playing in the Prime Time right now.”
Jones injured the knee before when he played at Tyler Junior College. He knows the process and has no interest in hurrying through his treatment.
Regardless, Jones is well loved by his teammates, all of whom were happy to know he’d be around for another year.
“It’s huge; Dale’s an awesome guy, and he’s going to be a great player for us,” Brady Ellingson said. “We’re going to need him out there.”
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