Meyer On Morris: V is for Velton

By: By Paul Meyer

Men's Basketball | 11/11/2014 9:53:00 AM

Moon Township, Pa. – Last season, Velton Jones attended a lot of Robert Morris basketball games, usually sitting with former teammate Russell Johnson in a courtside chair directly across from the bench of the Colonials.

This season, Jones will have a much different seat, and yet one that will be very familiar to him.

Jones, one of the greatest players in RMU history, will serve as Director of Player Development and sit alongside head coach Andrew Toole, Robert Morris assistant coaches and the players.

Just two seasons ago, Jones sat on those same chairs wearing his Robert Morris uniform. This season he'll sit on a chair wearing a coat and tie.

"I'm actually looking forward to that,'' Jones said. "I'm into fashion, and I like to look good.''

Jones also is way into basketball, and he looked rather good when he played.

A product of Philadelphia's Northeast Catholic High School, Jones put his name all over the Robert Morris record book during his four seasons as a starter at point guard. He finished his outstanding career fifth on the scoring list (1,588 points) and second in assists (551). He was a two-time all-Northeast Conference First Team selection. He holds program records for consecutive games played (121) and most starts (125), and he was a member of teams that won 91 games, tying him with Johnson and former guard Gary Wallace for most career victories.

Toole thinks Jones' contributions in his new role can be just as significant.

"He's going to be able to work with everybody, but primarily his focus will be working with the point guards in trying to help those guys understand what they need to do,'' Toole said. "He's going to provide great insight for our guys and be a great resource for our current players because he did it not so long ago. He was a member of the team. He understood the ups and downs of the season, understood the importance of dealing with the coaching staff and trying to have guys all on the same page. He can be a really valuable resource for them when they are feeling a little bit down or get caught in the grind of the season. He can kind of speak to them from his own personal perspective on how to get through it and how to be successful with it.''

Jones' official title should give him great latitude in what he's able to do.

"He's going to help monitor all our guys with some academic stuff, checking classes, doing some of the administrative tasks that need to be done,'' Toole said. "He's going to bring a lot of value mentoring our young guards, watching film with those guys, talking to them about decisions they make. Just having his presence around the guys and trying to influence them and understanding their responsibilities is going to be invaluable.''

"Hopefully I can help in any way I can to win games for the program,'' Jones said. "A lot of the guys have a respect level for me, as I do for them. They know I'm just trying to help them get better. I'll help them try to figure out the game and know the system in and out, watch film with them, show them different things and just how to play the game and fit into the system as best they can. I feel any little thing I can show them is helping the program and helping the team.''

Jones should make an impact with the young Robert Morris point guards. Sophomore Kavon Stewart, who played in 30 games last season, will make his first collegiate start at the position this season. The other point guards are freshmen Marcquise Reed and Jafar Kinsey.

"The timing is excellent,'' Toole said. "Velton started as a freshman, and he and I went through a lot of different things in trying to get him to understand everything that was required of him as a point guard. Now, he and I can help Kavon, Jafar and Marcquise pick up some of the nuances of the position and improve their development that much quicker.''

Jones, who graduated with a degree in hospitality and tourism management, joined the RMU staff after spending a year unsuccessfully trying to land a contract to play basketball overseas.

"I thought I'd be playing professionally somewhere, but certain things didn't happen,'' Jones said.

Before deciding what to do next, Jones had to reconcile his feelings about not playing anymore.

"That was one of the main decisions with taking this job, which was having to come to terms that playing basketball probably is over and I needed to try to move on to something new,'' Jones said. "It was definitely very difficult, but at least I'm still getting to do something I love to do.''

After realizing his playing career was over, Jones had conversations with his late mother, Patricia Bryant, who died three and-a-half months ago.

"She always knew I could play,'' Jones said. "She was the same as Toole. She told me 'Everything is life. Sometimes life takes you down different paths.' She always suggested I get into coaching, and hopefully this is my first step in doing that.''

Jones, in turn, revisited an idea Toole constantly broached with him during his playing career.

"It's something Velton and I had talked about early in his career,'' Toole said. "I would joke with him, saying he was going to coach, and he would always say, 'I can't coach. I won't be able to deal with crazy people.' We would kind of go back and forth all the time about what he's going to do when he's done playing. As he got older in the program, I think he realized he wanted to stay around the game, and I think he realized with his personality he might not be your traditional 9-to-5 guy. We continued to talk about some of that stuff as he was getting ready to graduate and trying to find a place to play overseas.''

"When Toole first asked me about coming on board and taking this position, I said no," Jones said, "When I first came on my (recruiting) visit, he asked me what I wanted to do after basketball, and I mentioned coaching. Then once I got on the court and saw all the things the coaches had to go through, there was no way I could see myself doing that. When you're a player, you think the coaches are just coming in and wanting to torture you. They want to help you but at the same time make things hard for you.''

Perceptions change over time.

"Players make it hard for coaches,'' Jones said. "I've matured since then, and that's a big help. You definitely have a different outlook on things when you're on the other side.''

As last winter wore on, Jones and Toole again discussed the possibility of Jones helping out at RMU.

"It was hard to give up playing basketball as a player,'' Jones said, "but I had a couple talks with coach Toole and he told me that sometimes it's not that you're not good enough but sometimes things just go how they go. It's life. Sometimes you might get that fulfillment in working out a player or coaching a player and seeing that player develop. It's just as good a feeling.''

"He was at practice and was around the team and was in the locker room with us watching film,'' Toole said. "I think he missed being part of the team, and he realized this sport is a passion for him and it's something that he could see himself doing for his career. Over the course of the summer, he was still working on opportunities to play and we just continued to talk and see if there was interest on his end to come back and be in a role like this.

"We continued to talk about it and he decided he wanted to give it a try and find out if this is where he sees himself. After the first week, I think he was excited and glad to be around the team. I know as a staff we're excited and I think our players are excited. Some of the guys played with him. On a lot of levels he can be a great guy to kind of bridge the players and the coaches and keep lines of communication open. All those things are important.''

As is this …

"His toughness,'' Toole said. "That's one of the things that is a concern for us on this year's team right now with so many new guys. Velton was always somebody who was willing to do the little things to help his team win. He was extremely competitive in practice, workouts and, obviously, in games. That's where his toughness really showed. There were plays he made as an individual that were just pure effort and desire to win. If our guys could begin to embody that, I think that would really help our season and our team."

Could hiring former players to be a part of the staff become a trend at Robert Morris?

"Absolutely,'' Toole said. "I think we've had guys before Velton, guys who played with Velton and guys on our current roster that you can see maybe going into that coaching role. It always helps when you have people who are familiar with the university and who understand what it's like being in the program. I think they can really relate to some of the guys as they go through different situations during the course of the year. They know it might be difficult and might be hard, but they can explain that it's worth it and that there's a reason behind it and if you stay with it, that if you continue to buy in and follow along, good things will happen for you."

Jones seems to have slid seamlessly into his new job. He enjoys working with his fellow staffers and likes dealing with the players. He also always seems to find something humorous, which usually relates to his days as a player.

"Every day,'' he said, smiling. "I laugh every day. I think about what I put the coaches through, and it's kind of like, 'Whew!'''

Naturally, Velton Jones laughed at that.

And perhaps Patricia Bryant laughed, too. Maybe she knows her son is happy.

"I know it's something she's proud of,'' Jones said. "I feel like me making this decision made her proud.''

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