Father Judge’s Kyle Jones is evolving into what college coaches desire

The eye in the sky does not lie.

Videography’s popularity has exploded in recent years, which means cameras capture nearly everything at high school basketball games these days.

Earlier this month, one lens bore witness to perhaps a unique feat: a star player passing up a shot at glory immediately after being humbled at the rim.

That sequence also seems emblematic of the evolution of Father Judge senior Kyle Jones: a player his coaches have challenged to become more than just a scorer. It may have also helped his stock as a college recruit.

“He’s gotten a lot of Division II interest right now, but a lot of Division II [coaches] you talk to don’t want to [offer a scholarship] because they think he’s a Division I guy,” said second-year coach Chris Roantree. “Division I [coaches] want to see him defend and do other things rather than just score, because a guy that can score is a dime a dozen nowadays.”

Jones, a smooth-shooting 6-foot-3 guard who transferred from Georgia last year, has accepted the challenge.

On Dec. 18 at the Diane Mosco Classic at Archbishop Wood, Jones rotated from the defensive weak side as Central York’s Ethan Dodson rumbled down the lane in the game’s final seconds.

Jones arrived too late to make the block, but he was right on time to be on Dodson’s poster. Being dunked on, however, didn’t seem to faze Jones.

Without hesitation, he directed a teammate to inbound the ball. Jones then caught the pass with about six seconds left and raced downcourt.

Instead of forcing a shot in search of misguided redemption after being posterized, Jones, a third-team all-Catholic League player last season, drove and found a wide-open teammate.

Sophomore guard Kevair Kennedy caught the ball in rhythm, drilled the game-winning three-pointer as time expired, and was mobbed by teammates.

“I came from the help side and I got dunked on,” Jones said before a recent Judge practice, “but it’s part of the game, so I wasn’t really worried about it. I just told my teammate to get it out of the net so we could push it. I was looking to score, but then I saw my teammate open so I made the right play, and he hit the shot.”

The willingness to pass didn’t surprise Roantree, but Jones’ maturity in not seeking glory stood out.

“Especially from somebody who is a returning all-Catholic League player and considered one of the better players in our league,” Roantree said. “He’s a great teammate and he’s a really good kid. He makes the right play 95 percent of the time.”

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At times last season, that wasn’t always the case as Jones, 19, adjusted to the Catholic League.

He had lived in Georgia with his father, Kyle Sr., since he was about 10 years old. Jones, however, was born and raised in Philadelphia, where he would spend summers with his mother, Shianna Dawkins.

He also spent those summers playing against his cousin, Rahsool Diggins, the former Archbishop Wood star who is now a sophomore at UMass.

Eventually, Jones said, he decided to spend his final two years of high school with his mother.

Last year, Roantree said Jones had a good season but struggled, at times, with turnovers.

“He’s not selfish and he does make the right play,” Roantree said. “This year he’s not forced to do as much as he thought he had to do last year.”

Last season, Jones finished ninth in both scoring (15.3 points per game) and assists (3.8) during league play and averaged six rebounds.

This season, his turnovers are down and his all-around skills have garnered early attention. He has consistently guarded the other team’s best offensive threat this year.

“He’s got a little buzz to him right now after his first few games,” Roantree said. “He has the ability to be a Division I basketball player.”

Roantree added that, just as in football recruiting, the transfer portal has become a hindrance to some high school recruits. The loosening of transfer rules means the portal functions like a pool of free agents.

College coaches, many feeling the pressure to win immediately, would often rather take a veteran college player from the portal than a freshman out of high school. Plus, the NCAA granted players an extra year of eligibility after the pandemic scuttled several sports seasons, meaning fewer spots for incoming freshmen.

“So guys like him may get pushed down the barrel a little bit,” Roantree said, “but I think if he consistently does what he’s been doing, everything will come, especially when we get into PCL play.”

Tuesday night at Cristo Rey, Jones took turns guarding talented West Chester Henderson juniors Connor Fleet and Nyle Ralph-Beyer.

It seemed when Jones guarded Fleet, Ralph-Beyer caught fire. When he switched to Ralph-Beyer, Fleet found freedom.

Fleet finished with 19 points, but he didn’t score in the fourth quarter. Ralph-Beyer scored a game-high 26, but few, if any, points were scored on Jones.

Jones collected 22 points, nine rebounds, and four assists.

His three-point play following a driving lefty layup and subsequent free throw gave Judge (4-1) a two-point lead with just less than five minutes remaining.

His assist to Laquan Byrd, who led Judge with 24 points, gave the Crusaders the lead for good en route to an 82-69 victory at the Play-by-Play Classic.

Jones said a few Division I schools have been in touch, but he has yet to field a scholarship offer. Sometimes he feels overlooked, he said, but his focus is on the Palestra, where the PCL semifinals and championship game are held. He paid to watch those games as a spectator last year.

Judge last won a PCL basketball title in 1998.

“My mindset is just to win,” Jones said. “I want to win this year. I want to at least make it to the Palestra. I want to know what it’s like to play at the Palestra.”