Queen of the bucket

As important as defense, rebounding and ball handling are in the sport of basketball, one rule is always in effect. You can't win if you don't score. Houston's Chandi Jones has shown she can put the ball in the basket as well as anyone.

During the 2002-03 college season, she did it better than everyone else in women's Division 1.

The 5'10" junior from Bay City, Texas, led the nation in scoring, pouring in 27.5 points per contest. The total package offensively, Jones shoots the 3, slashes to the basket and is consistent at knocking down free throws.

"I think what sets me apart is I have the ability to finish difficult shots," said Jones. "It's just a God-given ability."

Jones said she started playing basketball at the age of 3. Her father, David Jones, now an assistant coach at Houston, coached a high school team and she hung around practice.

"That's when I became interested in it," she said. "My father gave me one of those little, plastic bouncy balls. I tried to dribble it like those guys."

Jones mastered the art of dribbling before moving on to shooting, slashing and scoring. This season she hit 48.8 percent of her shots, including 52 of 141 from 3-point range.

"Ever since I got here, it's always been my role to be an offensive threat for my team. just try to do whatever it takes for us to win," said Jones. "I never try to force shots. If I don't have a shot, I'll always try to find a teammate for an easy shot, A lot of times my coach gets upset with me because he says I don't shoot enough."

Jones, Houston's all-time scoring leader (11,965 points), has proven she can score, but the other parts of her game haven't been neglected. She averaged 8.1 rebounds and 3.4 steals while earning Conference USA Player of the Year honors. - Tony Burns

Copyright Ashton International Media, Inc. May/Jun 2003
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