Top Departing Players #16: Ray Jones

With the throes of the offseason all around us, I thought it would be fun to take a look at the 20 best players that are departing from the Big Sky, either due to graduating, declaring for the draft, or transferring.

I will be honest... there is a good chance that Ray Jones would have been higher on this list if I have seen him play as often this year as I did the other players in the Big Sky. He played a big role for Southern Utah this year, logging the most minutes on the team (a robust 32.8 per game).

Jones was efficient from the floor, shooting over 58% from two-point range and 35% from downtown. Those are really good numbers, as he showed a lot of improvement from his junior to his senior seasons. He was also pretty solid at getting to the line, and made a good percentage there.

He looked to get others involved first, as he averaged 4.5 assists per game with a nice assist rate of 27.6. He turned it over a little more than you would like, but he did cut down a bit from his previous season. He helped out on the glass, with decent rebound rates for a guard, pulling down 4.0 boards per game. Defensively, he made enough steals that he made you be careful.

Like Rod Singleton, Jones was a senior leader at the point guard spot, which is always very valuable. With his departure, it will make new coach Nick Robinson's job just a little bit harder. Jones contributed a little bit of everything for the Thunderbirds last season.

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Southern Utah's Top Returners

Last season, Southern Utah finished 11-19, 7-11 in the Summit League. For their last year in the Summit League, they would certainly love to go out with a bang and build some momentum for their entrance into the Big Sky.

Their best returner is probably Matt Massey, a 6'9'' C that will be a senior. He is an efficient scorer, as he shot 57% from the field and 73% from the line (and got to the FT line at a decent rate). His rebounding rates were poor for a center, but he brings a lot of offensive skill to the table.

A lot of the rebounding was done by Kyle Davis, (who had a great freshman year, but is not listed on their roster... anyone have any ideas where he went).... and Matt Hodgson (who transferred), so that leaves a big void in the rebounding department. Ramell Taylor might be their best returning scorer, but he is a 6'5'' SF. Still, with his 13.5 DR%, he could see a lot of time. Tyson Koehler will also be counted on, as he is a big body and efficient scorer.

In the backcourt, they return some guys that got a lot of time. One is Ray Jones, who will be a senior PG. He had a 24.0 ARate, but he needs to cut down on his turnovers. A guy that could be a potential difference maker for them is guard Jackson Stevenett, who showed a lot of flashes as a sophomore. He got 55% from the field and 74% from the Line. He also posted decent rebound and assist rates. He could be a solid player for the Thunderbirds.

It could be tough sledding for Southern Utah to finish in the upper half of the Summit League in the final year, but they are not void of talent. It will be interesting to see how things go for them before the enter the Big Sky.