Talented C.J. Jones pushing for time in veteran-laden backcourt

University of Arkansas' C.J. Jones at practice Monday July 25, 2016.

— Dusty Hannahs didn’t hesitate or mince words when asked if he thought true freshman guard C.J. Jones would be in the rotation for Arkansas when November rolls around.

“Of course,” Hannahs said. On to the next question.

A few minutes later, Mike Anderson said Jones had a chance to be special.

The 6-foot-5 guard became the story of Arkansas' trip to Spain by averaging 14 points in just 12.3 minutes per game, but neither of those statements were sentiments many would have attached to Jones a few months ago when he came out of high school with a composite national ranking as the No. 363 player in the class of 2016. He was a decidedly under-the-radar recruit, committed to Chattanooga before Arkansas swayed him in February.

The Birmingham, Ala., native first met Mike Anderson when he was 4 years old and Anderson was the coach at UAB. He’d wanted to play for Anderson for some time and it probably didn’t hurt Arkansas' case that no other big-name basketball program pursued him in the slightest.

But it was evident Jones was a proverbial steal when he arrived in Fayetteville this summer. He may have the highest ceiling on the team thanks to his unique combination of size, length, athleticism and shooting touch.

His talent and potential was on full display on the Razorbacks’ trip abroad to Spain, where Jones was second on the team in scoring despite playing backup minutes off the bench.

“C.J. surprised me,” senior Manny Watkins said. “I mean, man, he’s shooting it, playing defense, dunking, everything. I can’t wait to see him when we start playing in the regular season.

“C.J.’s a great player and he’s got as much upside as anybody.”

Jones’ explosive performances equated to 45.7 points per 40 minutes, higher than what Hannahs (team-high 24.4), Buddy Hield (28.7) and Ben Simmons (22) averaged last season. Clearly the competition was weak, but Jones put up a lot of points in limited action while showcasing his skillset.

One game, he scored 23 points in just 18 minutes. He poured in 18 points in 12 minutes in another. He was efficient as a high-volume shooter, knocking down 53 percent of his shots and 50 percent of his 3-pointers while taking a hefty 31 shots per 40 minutes.

“I knew he was going to be aggressive,” Watkins said. “He showed in practice, he’s not scared. He’s a freshman and the first day of pickup, if he was open, he was going to let it fly. He’s never been passive.

“That’s the big thing with freshmen. A lot of freshmen come in and they don’t want to be too aggressive or too passive. C.J. just plays.”

That assertiveness can only be a good sign.

Jones’ gifts were apparent in pre-Spain practices. In some drills, he skied for dunks with ease, his head nearly touching the rim as he displayed his bounce. In shooting drills, he more than held his own while working with junior college transfers Daryl Macon and Jaylen Barford from 3-point range, showing off a fundamentally sound, smooth shot. At 6-5 with his leaping ability, getting his shot off won’t be an issue.

While his skill set was apparent, there was still the question of how he would fit on a team stocked with guards older than him. In that sense, his eagerness to get shots up in Spain was a good sign that he won’t defer when the lights are on.

Barford and Macon are going to play starter minutes. Hannahs will, too. Penciling in each for 25 minutes a night seems prudent, likely even underselling how much they’ll play against good competition.

Junior Anton Beard played well in Spain and should look more like the player who was a key contributor late in his freshman year than the one who was up-and-down after legal issues last season. He will play a lot.

Senior Manny Watkins is arguably the best perimeter defender on the team, rivaled only by Macon. He won’t be a perimeter shooter, but is a smart cutter, a good rebounder and brings a defensive mindset that Anderson stressed the team must have. He will play a lot.

That’s five upperclassmen who will all be in the rotation for the three guard/wing spots. Jones has proven he can score and isn’t bashful. At this point, it’s safe to project he will, at minimum, play the role of a scoring sparkplug off the bench for 10 to 12 minutes a night, more if he’s hot. Him carving out more of a role and taking minutes from older players on the roster will come down to the other end of the court.

“He’s got to learn a lot of concepts about defense,” Anderson said. “Defense was just a word for him in high school, as you can imagine (for) some of these guys. They will learn defense here.”

Jones’ length and athleticism give him the makings of a plus defender as he gains experience, but he also needs to keep adding weight and strength to a skinny frame, growth that should come in time. But the potential is evident, even though the two in-state SEC schools ignored the Birmingham product, along with every other Power 5 conference program in the nation except for Arkansas. He would’ve wound up in the Southern Conference had Anderson and the Birmingham connection not come through in February.

If he winds up being special this year or down the road, he’ll be labeled a surprise, a gem the Razorbacks managed to find. It won’t be a shock to those who have seen him already.

“He’s going to be a great Razorback,” Hannahs said.