USA's Tyus Jones shines at Duke

CHAPEL HILL (NCAA/2015 FIBA U19 World Championship for Men) - There were no doubts at that beginning of the season about the sort of positive impact Tyus Jones was going to have for Duke University in American college basketball.

Jones, a point guard, had revealed himself to be a steady and at times spectacular guard with the USA junior national teams in previous years.

He first shone for the United States at the 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championship for Men and then excelled at the 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship for Men and the 2014 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Men.

In each of those tournaments, the 1.85m playmaker was crucial for American sides that won titles.

The player who turns 19 on 10 May could also feature in his country's title defence at this summer's FIBA U19 World Championship in Heraklion (Crete), Greece (27 June-5 June).

But for now Jones is playing for USA senior team coach Mike Krzyzewski at Duke and taking over games.

Over the weekend, he had his second straight important outing against rivals North Carolina.

He poured in 24 points, handed out seven assists, corralled six rebounds and came up with three steals in an 84-77 Duke win, a result that completed a regular season sweep of the Tar Heels.

As dominant as he was on Saturday night in Chapel Hill, Jones had been equally effective in the first meeting that went to overtime just a couple of weeks ago.

Jones has been named to the Third Team All-ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) and the All-ACC Freshman Team.

He is the latest freshman point guard to have a major influence on a Duke team.

"I've seen it in a freshman before," Krzyzewski said. "That's where he is. Tyus is outstanding. 

"But I saw it with him at USA Basketball. I saw it in him as a sophomore in high school."

He's a big-time player - Krzyzewski

Jones also showed the capacity to play with pain on Saturday.

After scoring on a hard drive to the basket in the second half, he crashed to the floor and did not get up while receiving attention from the team's medical staff.

He walked gingerly to the bench but returned to the game soon after.

Krzyzewski said he had back spasms.

"I played through a good bit of pain, but in a game like this, that's the last thing you are thinking about," Jones said.

"My teammates believed in me to come back in and give it my all. I owed it to them, to give it 110 percent.

"I wasn't worried about aches or pains or anything like that."

Jones is now about to play in his first ACC Tournament with the Blue Devils and then he will experience March Madness as Duke go after another title with Coach K.

The expectation is that he will soon be an NBA player and then, who knows? Jones will have every chance of ending up in a USA jersey at the next FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Players like Kyrie Irving, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson played for the USA youth teams and then graduated to the senior side.

They were three of the team's biggest stars at last year's World Cup.

Jones appears to be on track to join them.

FIBA