UTC guard Casey Jones scores during the Mocs' win Wednesday against Tennessee Wesleyan. The two-time All-Southern Conference player, coming off an ankle injury, is in a new role in his restored final year of eligibility.Whether people believe it or not, Casey Jones has been at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for only five years.
He graduated in four, but that doesn't mean he's not still learning, especially on the basketball court.
The standout senior, who received a medical redshirt last season after an ankle injury, spent most of it watching and taking in the success of the 2015-16 Mocs, who won 29 games and earned a spot in the NCAA tournament. It helped give him a different perspective of how to help the team, and he's been able to use that to his advantage this season.
Fellow Louisiana native Chuck Ester is a senior out with an ACL injury, and he was considered the "glue guy" of the team. Jones, already versatile, has tried to become that sort of player for the Mocs this year.
"That's something our team really needs," Jones said as the Mocs prepared to visit Vanderbilt tonight. "I'm just trying to get into that role and not shoot as much. I just want to make up for what we lost in Chuck, and even though I can't do it the same as him, I still try."
During his sophomore and junior seasons, and through eight games last year, Jones averaged more than 10 shots per game. This season he's averaging 5.6.
He's been the best player on the floor in games and has two All-Southern Conference honors to show for it, and he's tied for 13th in UTC's Division I history in scoring (1,113), fifth in rebounds (564), eighth in blocks (85) and 11th in steals (99), but it's no longer about stats with him. His goal is just helping the team win, and if that means averaging a career-low 19.4 minutes a game and using that time to exert extra energy on the defensive end while chipping in 8.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per contest, so be it.
"There'll be nights where he puts up 20 points because he's an electric-type player," UTC coach Matt McCall said. "There'll be nights where it's just his night. He has such an appreciation of being out there and just being on the floor. I think Casey sitting back and watching things transpire last year, he wants to win. How can he impact winning and what does this team need him to do?
"He is only concerned about getting back to last year's level and taking it further. He is completely consumed with winning; he's an ultimate winner."
The Mocs (8-2) are facing Vanderbilt (5-5) for the first time since 2001. Game time is 8:30 p.m. EST at Memorial Gymnasium.
"It's good to be playing," Jones said. "I love playing with my teammates, whether it's practice, shootaround or a game.
"I just love being out there playing basketball with these guys."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.