Moon Township, Pa. - Velton Jones remembers it vividly.
Early in his first year at Robert Morris, Jones sat in a basketball office where Andrew Toole, then a Colonial assistant coach, had the media guide open on his desk. Jones stared at the pages that listed the program's career leaders in various categories.
After a few minutes, Jones looked at Toole and said: "I'm going to be in this book.''
Turns out, four years later, Jones was incorrect. He isn't just "in'' that book. He's all over it.
Entering his senior season, Jones ranks 11th on the career scoring list with 1,259 points. He could finish as high as fourth.
He ranks seventh in steals with 169. He could move up another notch.
He ranks eighth in assists with 393. It's conceivable that he could become the all-time assists leader. Forest Grant (1980-84) had 555 throughout the course of his illustrious career.
He's played in 104 games, starting 98. It's quite possible he'll finish as the career leader in both categories. Former Colonial Mezie Nwigwe (2006-10) appeared in 131 games, while Jeremy Chappell (2005-09) started 120.
Jones last season moved atop the career charts with 397 made free throws in 560 attempts. During last season, he established season records for free throws made (207) and attempted (270).
Also last season, while leading the Colonials to a 26-11 record and being voted to the All-Northeast Conference First Team, Jones scored 591 points, second all-time behind the 614 points Myron Walker scored in the 1991-92 season.
Perhaps you're beginning to realize - again - that Velton Jones has had quite an impact on this program.
"I thought I would have a good career,'' Jones said. "I always had confidence in myself. When I first got here, my goal was just try to do as much as I can.''
He's certainly done a lot - after his career got off to a late start.
Jones signed with Robert Morris out of Philadelphia's Northeast Catholic High School, where he'd been a star. Prior to his senior season, he was ranked the second-best point guard in the city of Philadelphia by hoopscooponline.com. He backed that up with a final high school season in which he averaged 13.7 points, 7.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game.
All signs pointed to Jones being a key player for the Colonials even as a freshman in 2008-09.
However, the NCAA declared him a partial qualifier, meaning that season he could practice with the Colonials but couldn't play in games.
"I was real disappointed,'' Jones said. "It was the first time I wasn't able to play.''
Maybe, though, that was for the best. Jones' father, Ronald, became ill that winter, and Jones spent a lot of time back in Philadelphia.
"I wasn't really thinking about basketball too much at that time,'' Jones said.
There were memorable moments for Jones that season, though.
He was on the bench when Dallas Green popped in a last-second jump shot that lifted the Colonials over Mount St. Mary's in the 2009 NEC Tournament Championship game at the Charles L. Sewall Center.
"The shot was actually right in front of me,'' Jones said, beginning to laugh. "I said, 'No. Don't shoot!' when it went up.''
And there was the practice time that taught him something.
"Seeing what it takes to be able to win a championship and to be able to endure everything,'' he said. "It was a good experience.''
The next season was an even better experience because, one, he finally was able to play and, two, he helped the Colonials win another NEC Tournament championship.
He started 30 of 35 games and averaged 8.0 points per game. The only downer was that he shot only 58.9 percent from the free throw line - not very impressive for a guard.
Jones vowed to improve, and he did. The next season, he shot 71 percent from the stripe. Last season, his percentage jumped to 77.
"I think he knew in his freshman year, shooting 58 percent, he gave away a lot of points,'' Toole said. "He worked at it. He realized he was going to get fouled a lot (because) of the way he plays. So if he's going to get fouled he has to make those become positive opportunities for our team. I think he really concentrates more at the free throw line now.''
During Jones' sophomore season and especially during last season, it became apparent that the 6-foot Jones had become the Colonials' leader.
"I've always been kind of like the team leader since I got here,'' Jones said. "That's just the type of person I am.''
For sure, he could lead by scoring.
During one six-game stretch in January last season, he scored 141 points, including a game-saving 35-point performance at Monmouth.
However, the Colonials as a team were in a bit of a lull at that point. There was a sense that Jones could help more by scoring less.
In early February, the Colonials began a six-game winning streak during which Jones averaged "only'' 12.7 points per game. But he also contributed 5.5 assists per game and generally just willed the Colonials to victories.
It's possible Jones will score less this season as the Robert Morris offense diversifies.
"In a perfect world -- and I've talked to Velton about this a little bit -- maybe his scoring average comes down a little bit this year because maybe we have some other guys who are going to be more capable of scoring,'' Toole said. "Maybe we can continue to improve shot selection and maybe raise Velton's shooting percentage a little bit. I think he does have the ability when we really need to score to be able to make some plays and do some things, but at the same time maybe if he scored a little bit less and some other guys scored a little bit more we'd be a little harder to guard.''
While Jones last season solidified his stature as the player for Robert Morris, it became increasingly apparent that he also was emerging as one of the NEC's top players.
For example, in two games against Fairleigh Dickinson, Jones averaged 20 points, six assists, 2.5 steals and five rebounds.
"He's a special player,'' FDU coach Greg Vetrone said. "He's tough. That kid can play at any level.''
Then there's Monmouth coach King Rice, who watched Jones' 35-point game that carried the Colonials back from a 15-point deficit with 12 minutes left to a win Jan. 21. Jones was 10-of-20 from the field, including 6-of-11 from beyond the arc.
"Velton Jones killed us,'' Rice said. "He single-handedly beat our whole team.''
So when the Hawks played at Robert Morris March 1 in an NEC Tournament quarterfinal game, Rice vowed that wouldn't happen again.
"I told our guys, 'He's not beating us by himself (again),''' Rice said. "We came in with a plan of trapping Velton. We trapped him every time he had the ball.''
That tactic worked - to an extent. Jones scored only 12 points, but he dished 10 assists in the game in which Coron Williams (8-of-11 from deep) scored 25 points and Lucky Jones added 16. The Colonials won, 87-68.
"Velton was a little bit tired, but he's such a competitor,'' Rice said after that game. "He's great for their team, and he makes their whole deal go. I love that kid. He's a tough little dude, and he keeps it coming. He wants the heat. He wants the challenge, and he got his team the win tonight.''
Just as he did so frequently last season. He did it by scoring. He did it by passing. He did it by playing great defense.
He did it most of all by simply being who he is - a gritty guy who refuses to let his team lose.
"We have some guys in the league that maybe have more talent than Velton does,'' Toole said. "There are some guys in the league who might have specific skills that might be a little better. But I think in terms of overall toughness and will and grit, I think he's got to be either at the top of the list or right there with one or two guys.''
Now Jones nears the beginning of the final season of what has been a great career to this point and could wind up being one of the greatest in Robert Morris history.
"I thought he had a chance to have a really good career,'' Toole said, reflecting back to Jones' arrival at Robert Morris. "I didn't think he would be able to score the ball as much as he did. I thought he'd be a guy who would really run our team. He'd defend like crazy. He'd have some of the intangibles that we see in terms of his toughness and his ability to make some big plays, but I didn't realize he'd develop as a scorer as much as he has.
"And he probably doesn't always score in the most conventional ways. You know, a lot of times it's through free throws. A lot of times it's through getting hot from three or whatever it might be. He really has a knack to put the ball in the basket. I thought he would have the opportunity to help us win a lot of games. I just didn't know that he would maybe do some of the things he's done scoring-wise.''
"I never would have thought that coming in,'' Jones said of his scoring. "I just had to start believing in coach Toole. It's just me working hard and believing in coach Toole and the formula that he put together for our team.''
The other day, as he walked toward the Sewall Center for a workout, Jones thought about how many times he's been on that sidewalk. How many practices he's gone through. How many games he's played.
And he thought about being a senior.
"You just think about where the time went,'' he said. "It's gone so fast. I can't believe I'm a senior. I feel so much older coming in and seeing all these young guys - 18, 19 years old. It's like, 'Aw, man.' It feels crazy just knowing that you're a senior and you're the leader and you're older than everybody.''
And Jones thought about that day in Toole's office four years ago when he looked at that media guide and told Toole someday he'd "be in this book.''
"I just can't believe it,'' Jones said. "It seems like yesterday. And I know Senior Night's going to be here before I know it.''
Like, perhaps, tomorrow.
