WASHINGTON — Tre Jones was along for the ride four years ago. A freshman in high school at the time, he attended every Duke NCAA Tournament game, watching his brother Tyus and his teammates cut down the nets.
Now, he hopes it’s his turn.
“I made it a goal of mine [then] to try to come to Duke one day as well,” the Blue Devils point guard recalled on Saturday, as No. 1 Duke prepared for its East Region final showdown with second-seeded Michigan State on Sunday.
He didn’t just make it to Duke — he’s following in his brother’s footsteps as a key part of a championship-caliber team. If not for the 6-foot-2 Jones, the Blue Devils may not still be alive. With top NBA prospect Cam Reddish (left knee soreness) held out of the Sweet 16 against No. 4 Virginia Tech, Jones picked up the scoring slack, scoring a career-high 22 points and hitting five of seven 3-point attempts in a 75-73 victory. The Hokies, protecting the paint against Duke stars Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett, gave Jones space, and he made them pay.
“I’ve got to continue to have confidence in myself,” said Jones, just a 26.5 percent shooter from 3-point range.
Though he will be needed to score on Sunday if Reddish isn’t available, Jones’ most critical job will be at the defensive end against Big Ten Player of the Year Cassius Winston. Perimeter defense is also the freshman’s best quality, as his 1.9 steals per game would suggest.
“Internally he gets a lot of credit, because he’s as important a player as we have,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “He’s very similar to his brother as far as just [being a] rock-solid person, teammate, and smart. They’re a little bit different at that age. Tre is a better defender. Tyus was a better shooter, although not necessarily a better shooter than [Tre was Thursday] night. And they’re big-time moment players. They’re not afraid of the moment.”
Tyus took off in the tournament back in 2015, scored 23 points in the national championship game, was the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player and was drafted in the first round (24th overall) a few months later. Krzyzewski said Tyus was “perfect for us” at the end of games that season. Tre now has the chance to match his older brother, and get a chance to play just 20 miles from his hometown of Apple Valley, Minn., in the Final Four in Minneapolis.
“I set a goal out [for myself] and I’ve been trying to reach that ever since,” he said.