Column: Purdue doesn't make the Final Four without Evanston's Lance Jones and his awe-inspiring story

PHOENIX - There was a moment when Evanston boys basketball coach Mike Ellis had to take time to compose himself.

He was asked about what it was like seeing former Evanston star Lance Jones alongside Jones’ family, friends and loved ones, compete in the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight.

It made Ellis emotional considering how bright the lights are shining on Jones and where he came from.

Ellis’ emotion took into account what Jones has lost, too.

Transferring to Purdue from Southern Illinois, Jones has become a key member on a Final Four team in his final year of college basketball. To overcome the loss of teammate Ryan Bost to gun violence in 2020 and the loss of his father this past August is a heavy weight for a 22-year old.

It’s nothing less than awe inspiring the way Jones has ushered in a Final Four season with that weight.

"I'm sure that's a piece that Lance feels that's missing out of his life," Ellis said. "Lance is the type of person that the glass is always half full, you know? So he probably doesn't dwell at that. He’s, I'm sure, using that as motivation, knowing that his father's up above watching down on him."

This isn’t just a Final Four season for Purdue. Consider the recent history.

The Boilermakers have lost to a double-digit seeded team the last three NCAA Tournaments: No. 13 seeded North Texas in 2021, No. 15 seeded St. Peters in 2022 and No. 16 seeded Farleigh Dickinson in 2023.

Back again as a No. 1 seed aiming to shake off being the second No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 team in the NCAA Tournament, Purdue has put together a season that will be remembered forever. The Boilermakers have clinched a Final Four berth for the first time since 1980.

Jones has played a massive role in this Final Four season.

That role has been an unselfish one. He’s sacrificed the spotlight and statistics for the betterment of his team.

"When I committed here, I knew what sacrifices I had to make," Jones said after Purdue’s 80-68 win over Gonzaga in the Sweet Sixteen. "I would give up anything, whether that's scoring or doing whatever I used to do."

Jones, pairing with players like Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Naismith Player of the Year candidate Zach Edey, watched his stats drop. His points per game averaged went from nearly 14 points per game at SIU to 11 points per game.

But, his steals and rebounding average have held constant. He’s become a reliable defender that has made the right plays to send Purdue to the Final Four.

Ellis said the plays Jones makes are "winning plays." Jones has had to make plenty of those this season for Purdue, and those kinds of plays have given the Boilermakers something they didn’t have last season.

"They were missing a guy like Lance who would come in and put winning above anything else, not be about how many shots he gets in a game," Ellis said. "Be the person that wants to take on the role of taking opponents and matching up with their best star player and taking on the challenge of cutting their average in half."

Being the player that’s guarding the opposition takes dedication. Jones doesn’t overlook that.

"When you're matched up with their leading scorer and best player, that just magnifies the importance of being locked into the scouting report or trying to take away strengths from the other team's best player," Ellis said. "And he loves it."

Look no further than how Jones guarded Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht in the Elite Eight. Knecht finished with 37 points, but only 12 of those came when Jones was guarding him.

It’s easy to scheme players open with screens and off-ball movement, but Jones knows how to make that difficult as a defender. Jones earned high praise from his head coach as one of the transfers who won the Boilermakers games.

"Those guys win the day, man," Purdue head coach Matt Painter said. "They care. That's what Lance has been able to do for us. Lance has a good competitive spirit. He has a good way about him."

That competitive spirit grew in Evanston and matured at SIU.

What helps is that Painter’s system at Purdue holds familiar terminology and schemes. Jones didn’t face a massive learning curve in West Lafayette.

He faced playing basketball without his father watching for the first time in his life.

Transferring from SIU to Purdue is a big jump. Playing on the Big 10 level requires poise to go with skill that keeps up with the jump in competition. Ellis said losing a parent is one of the toughest moments for anyone in their life. Jones was fearless in handling the loss.

At his father’s funeral, the entire Purdue basketball team showed out for Jones before they even played a regular season game together.

It shows just how much Jones means to the team.

"It was a chance that I took," Jones said. "The grass isn't always greener on the other side, but the way that these guys and the coaches have accepted me with open arms has just made this experience so much easier for me."

The choice to play in the Big 10 seems like an easy decision. But Ellis said he knows it was a calculated decision in Jones’ mind.

"No one has ever questioned the way Lance has made decisions," Ellis said. "Lance is always making great choices and great decisions, and you don't have that type of winning follow you without that."

I asked Ellis how proud he is of Jones, and he shied away from putting that pride into words.

Instead, he put himself into the Evanston community that’s happy watching him succeed. There are so many that invested in Jones’ future in Evanston and at ETHS, the community feels bliss watching that become a dream come true.

All of this came to fruition this year, even as Jones weathered massive personal loss.

Without that, the Boilermakers wouldn’t have the success they’re having.

"There's a lot of responsibilities that Lance has with Purdue's team this year," Ellis said. "It's just been great to see him succeed with all that."

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