Jones Back in Corvallis, Withdraws From NBA Draft - Oregon State University Athletics

CORVALLIS, Ore. – of the Oregon State men’s basketball team has withdrawn his name from NBA Draft consideration and is back in Corvallis for the start of summer school, he announced today.

Jones was able to use the NBA’s early-entry process to his full advantage, playing far more basketball at a higher level than would have been possible had he remained in Corvallis for the spring quarter. NCAA rules limited the number of hours of supervised practice that could take place after the season to just two per week. Back in his hometown of Los Angeles, Jones devoted himself to basketball for multiple hours each day.

“This has definitely made me mentally stronger,” Jones said. “It was just basketball the whole time I was there. Having competed against all of these great players, I feel like I can be one of the better players in the country next year. I think people definitely know who I am.”

Jones’ schedule consisted of daily workouts, weight lifting and basketball games against NBA players and draft prospects. Among the likely draft picks that Jones competed against were Corey Brewer, Joakim Noah, Nick Young, Nick Fazekas, Spencer Hawes and Yi Jianlian. During NBA team workouts, Jones said he was viewed by the L.A. Lakers, L.A. Clippers, Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors.

Because he did not hire an agent and paid his own way, Jones remains fully eligible under NCAA rules. Jones was ahead of schedule academically and missing the spring quarter will also not affect his eligibility.

As Oregon State’s only senior in 2007-08, he is looking forward to taking on a bigger leadership role and helping OSU make a move back up the Pac-10 standings. With this experience behind him and a big year ahead of him, Jones believes he will be a top draft prospect in 2008.

“I just want to win next year, and everything else will take care of itself,” he said. “I think we’re going to be good. It’s definitely going to be my team. A team is the reflection of its leader, and I’m going to come in and work hard every day, and have the right mentality, and I hope that rubs off on the rest of the team.”

Jones (Los Angeles, Calif./Mater Dei HS), a 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward, was Oregon State’s leading scorer as a junior as he averaged 15.3 points (eighth in the Pacific-10 Conference). He was also fourth in the Pac-10 in steals (1.5) and 15^th in rebounding (5.7). He has been one of the Pac-10’s most improved players over his three seasons, as he went from 3.9 ppg as a freshman to 9.2 ppg as a sophomore to his current numbers. Jones had nine games in 2006-07 with 20 or more points, including a career-high 35 at Northern Colorado.

“I think this helped Marcel a lot,” OSU Coach said. “Day in and day out, he was challenged, and it forced him to get into a routine where he had to respond to that challenge. It’s going to elevate his standards. He’s our most experienced player and our only senior. Hopefully this will help him to come back and provide leadership to our younger players, both vocally and by example by playing at a higher level.”

Jones was mentioned in a “Draft Watch” column written by Chad Ford of espn.com at the end of May. Jones was playing in a scrimmage full of draft hopefuls and current NBA players and Ford wrote that he was one of the scrimmage’s standouts, noting that Jones was “an athletic small forward who scored several big buckets from midrange with (Florida’s Corey) Brewer on him.”

A writer for draftexpress.com watched Jones in a series of games and wrote that he “was very opportunistic in all the games he played in, feeding off open shots he found behind the 3-point line or from mid-range when the defense slacked, grabbing offensive rebounds, finishing in transitioning, and generally showing a good feel for the game while not looking particularly out of place.”