Kansas State University Athletics
Untapped Potential
May 14, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
You listen to Max Jones and two words come to mind: Untapped potential.
Here's a young man from Clearwater, Florida, who's always taken steps to move up. He scored 1,000 points at Clearwater High School, moved to Division II Tampa, and spent the last two years at Division I Cal State Fullerton. He's scored 20 points, he's scored 30 points, and once he scored 38 points in a game against No. 17 Barry in sunny South Florida. He was named Division II National Player of the Week for his efforts.
Last season, he averaged 13.7 points on 41.5% (233-of-562) shooting, including 39.0% (76-of-195) from 3-point range, with 3.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 30 minutes per game. He scored in double figures in 40 of 56 career games with the Titans.
"It was an overall great experience," Jones says. "During my two years, my skills expanded a lot. I just learned how to play the game better and slow it down."
When the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Jones entered the transfer portal on March 11, things started speeding up. He heard from a variety of schools from a variety of places — "I have a list somewhere, he says — but no school proved as prestigious as Kansas State, which came calling last Monday.
Jones got on a flight.
He committed last Thursday.
"I've learned to never stop and just keep going," Jones says. "I feel like a lot of people in my shoes would've stopped at a lower division and never strived to be the best person they can be.
"I'm not even done yet. I'm just getting started."
You ask Jones to take it from the beginning and explain how this all began. He traces back to Clearwater, a place that he calls "gritty," where he got his start.
"Everyone is trying to make it out and be that guy or provide for their family, and it's very competitive. So, it gets very gritty," he says. "And I'm from Florida, and Florida always has the gritty people, or dogs, or whatever they say."
Jones used to watch Barry Brown Jr., a native of St. Petersburg, Florida, star for the Wildcats. And now? Jones looks to bring that grittiness, that dog mentality to K-State as well.
"When Coach Jerome Tang and the coaches were showing me the practice facility and apartment, I really wanted to commit," he says. "I just looked at how the coaches were and how they showed me love. It was a very exciting moment.
"When they handed me the paper, I felt it was a good decision to sign it."
There was more to it than signing a piece of paper to play for the Wildcats.
He was aghast at how the K-State coaches waited until 1:45 a.m. to greet him at his hotel. There was the talk over breakfast, and dinner last Thursday. Although Jones' birthday is April 9, the K-State coaches put on a birthday celebration for Jones while on his trip. Dinner and cakes and candles in downtown Manhattan. They arranged a photo shoot, which Jones says really tipped the scales in K-State's favor, and they took him on a tour of Bramlage Coliseum.
Jones had seen Bramlage on TV, but, man, this was live, and he got chills, and the building came to life.
"I've never really had a home environment like that," he says. "I've played in arenas like that, but I'm just very excited. I've seen a lot of videos of the arena. It's obviously going to be very different."
Jones has texted with David N'Guessan and transfer guard Brendan Hausen. The plan is to arrive in Manhattan for good on June 2.
"Coach Tang sees me as a shooter," Jones says. "I can get to the paint very well, so over the summer I'm going to work on finishing at the rim. Coach Tang wants me to be a scorer and play really good defense and be a dog out there."
For Jones, who has months to prepare for this next stop in his journey, this is definitely a step up.
"I never thought I'd be in Kansas," he says. "I'm a guy from Florida, and my first transfer was all the way out in Southern California. I never thought I'd be in Kansas. When I went on my visit, it felt like a dream come true — or a dream about to come true.
"I felt like the opportunity just came, and I had to really jump on it."
He's a young man, living out his dream.
He's a young man with untapped potential.
You listen to Max Jones and two words come to mind: Untapped potential.
Here's a young man from Clearwater, Florida, who's always taken steps to move up. He scored 1,000 points at Clearwater High School, moved to Division II Tampa, and spent the last two years at Division I Cal State Fullerton. He's scored 20 points, he's scored 30 points, and once he scored 38 points in a game against No. 17 Barry in sunny South Florida. He was named Division II National Player of the Week for his efforts.
Last season, he averaged 13.7 points on 41.5% (233-of-562) shooting, including 39.0% (76-of-195) from 3-point range, with 3.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 30 minutes per game. He scored in double figures in 40 of 56 career games with the Titans.
"It was an overall great experience," Jones says. "During my two years, my skills expanded a lot. I just learned how to play the game better and slow it down."
When the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Jones entered the transfer portal on March 11, things started speeding up. He heard from a variety of schools from a variety of places — "I have a list somewhere, he says — but no school proved as prestigious as Kansas State, which came calling last Monday.
Jones got on a flight.
He committed last Thursday.
"I've learned to never stop and just keep going," Jones says. "I feel like a lot of people in my shoes would've stopped at a lower division and never strived to be the best person they can be.
"I'm not even done yet. I'm just getting started."
You ask Jones to take it from the beginning and explain how this all began. He traces back to Clearwater, a place that he calls "gritty," where he got his start.
"Everyone is trying to make it out and be that guy or provide for their family, and it's very competitive. So, it gets very gritty," he says. "And I'm from Florida, and Florida always has the gritty people, or dogs, or whatever they say."
Jones used to watch Barry Brown Jr., a native of St. Petersburg, Florida, star for the Wildcats. And now? Jones looks to bring that grittiness, that dog mentality to K-State as well.
"When Coach Jerome Tang and the coaches were showing me the practice facility and apartment, I really wanted to commit," he says. "I just looked at how the coaches were and how they showed me love. It was a very exciting moment.
"When they handed me the paper, I felt it was a good decision to sign it."
There was more to it than signing a piece of paper to play for the Wildcats.
He was aghast at how the K-State coaches waited until 1:45 a.m. to greet him at his hotel. There was the talk over breakfast, and dinner last Thursday. Although Jones' birthday is April 9, the K-State coaches put on a birthday celebration for Jones while on his trip. Dinner and cakes and candles in downtown Manhattan. They arranged a photo shoot, which Jones says really tipped the scales in K-State's favor, and they took him on a tour of Bramlage Coliseum.
Jones had seen Bramlage on TV, but, man, this was live, and he got chills, and the building came to life.
"I've never really had a home environment like that," he says. "I've played in arenas like that, but I'm just very excited. I've seen a lot of videos of the arena. It's obviously going to be very different."
Jones has texted with David N'Guessan and transfer guard Brendan Hausen. The plan is to arrive in Manhattan for good on June 2.
"Coach Tang sees me as a shooter," Jones says. "I can get to the paint very well, so over the summer I'm going to work on finishing at the rim. Coach Tang wants me to be a scorer and play really good defense and be a dog out there."
For Jones, who has months to prepare for this next stop in his journey, this is definitely a step up.
"I never thought I'd be in Kansas," he says. "I'm a guy from Florida, and my first transfer was all the way out in Southern California. I never thought I'd be in Kansas. When I went on my visit, it felt like a dream come true — or a dream about to come true.
"I felt like the opportunity just came, and I had to really jump on it."
He's a young man, living out his dream.
He's a young man with untapped potential.
Players Mentioned
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