FPD basketball’s Jordan Jones averages 26 points. Where will he play after high school?

Jordan Jones started playing basketball when he was a year old. His father taught him the sport and went on to teach him that the game is about more than just scoring.

Now, he’s a high school junior who averages 26 points a game and leads the FPD Vikings in every statistical category.

“He didn’t even teach me how to shoot first. He taught me how to dribble and pass the ball first,” Jones said in an interview with The Telegraph. “It has played a big part in my life because without basketball, I don’t know where I would be right now.”

Although he’s a well-rounded player, it’s his scoring that stands out. Jones has already topped 40 points multiple times this season and has the Vikings off to a 16-4 start.

His ability to get hot from behind the 3-point line makes him a threat from anywhere on the court. FPD head coach Gavin Chapman said that with Jones it is like the teams starts each game with 25 points, which puts him at ease.

“I think that makes him so special on the basketball court is number one his range, how far he can shoot back from the 3-point line but also his consistency from that range,” Chapman said. “It is huge. It makes me seem like a good coach sometimes when I don’t draw up the 35-footer that he just shot.”

As a sophomore, Jones emerged as one of the best scorers in the area with 19 points per game. As a junior he has added seven more points per game and has already reached the 1,000 point mark for his high school career

Jordan Jones’ teammates

Chapman took over as the Vikings coach last season and went 10-13. The addition this season of freshmen Jaylun Goodrum and Gavin Greene as their second and third scoring options has been a big part of the turnaround, Jones said.

“We have some freshmen coming up that have given us big minutes and helping out the team. It gives me more options,” Jones said. “We came into this season knowing we were going to be a good team. We just got to get better every practice and every game.”

Jones has grown close to Chapman. The pair have bonded during their season and a half together. Jones credits a lot of his growth over the past two seasons to Chapman and what he has brought to the team.

“He is one of my best friends honestly,” Jones said. “He has played a big factor in my basketball career.”

Outside of basketball, Jones is quiet and reserved. He enjoys playing video games like NBA 2K, working out, going to the movies with friends and playing football.

On the court, he takes a similar approach as a silent leader and as an assassin from behind the 3-point line making nearly 40% of his shots from behind the line.

He has hopes of playing college basketball. Some teams have shown interest but he doesn’t have any official offers.

“I am trying to go to the next level the best I can. College, overseas, pro,” Jones said. “I am just trying to get better as a player. Whatever college picks me up is going to get 100 percent.”

Looking ahead to college

Before coaching at FPD, Chapman was the head coach at Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, Georgia.

Being a college coach has given him insight into what types of players are successful after high school. He believes Jones has everything it takes to do well for any school. The biggest thing is helping Jones and his family find the right fit. He wants Jones to have an enjoyable college career.

“I have only had a couple of other kids that could score like him in my career. And that is coaching at the college level as well. He is a special talent,” Chapman said. “I really just want Jordan to be able to play in the best program possible. … There is going to be a lot of opportunities for him.”

With college basketball still more than a year away, Jones is focused on leading FPD to success in the form of a region title and trying to make noise in the playoffs. With that, he hopes to be able to cement his legacy at the school.

“I want to leave my name behind and when you think of my name you think of greatness,” Jones said. “When people hear FPD you think of Jordan.”

This story was originally published January 23, 2020 at 9:53 AM.