Classroom Champion: Herbert Jones
10/23/2018 2:56:00 PM | Men's Basketball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -Â Anyone who has watched sophomore men's basketball guard/forward Herbert Jones play knows that he goes all out all the time. That was most evident in the Crimson Tide's win over then-No. 12 Oklahoma last season when the Greensboro, Ala., native threw up a career-best 14 points, going toe-to-toe with first-round draft pick Trae Young. For his shut-down efforts throughout the season, that included a second-round appearance in the NCAA tournament, Jones was named the Crimson Tide's Defensive Player of the Year.
Jones brings that same tenacity, drive and hunger to be the best to the classroom, where he has been a regular on the President's List (4.0 grade point average) and Dean's List (3.5 or better GPA).
"To be good academically, you have to practice, just like with basketball," Jones said. "I know that to maintain my grades I have put in a lot of effort and really study."
Jones has been better than "good" in the classroom. To date, the business major has made just one B in his Alabama career with the rest of his grades coming in the A category. In addition to his on-the-court accolades, he also earned the Crimson Tide's Scholar-Athlete Achievement Award and was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
"Education means that I will be set-up for life after basketball," Jones said. "Of course I want to play basketball as long as I can, but I also know I need a plan for my next chapter as well."
The main reason Jones chose Alabama was the emphasis that head coach Avery Johnson, his staff and Alabama Athletics as a whole puts on excelling not just athletically, but in all aspects of the collegiate experience.
"I wanted to come here because Coach is all about preparing us for the real world," Jones said. "He's always telling us that he wants us to not only be great basketball players, but great men and that really spoke to me."
