There’s obvious ingredients that make a good basketball team, like solid guards, consistent shooting and reliable rebounding, to name a few. Stars and standout players are obviously important, but one of the underrated parts of any good team are the glue guys — the players who contribute to winning in ways that don’t show up on the box score.
We caught a glimpse of one of those potential glue guys at Michigan’s Pro Day last week, as one of the most vocal players on the defensive end of the floor was North Texas transfer Rubin Jones. You could also hear him talking on defense in Michigan’s exhibition win over Oakland. Like bacon, Sprite or brown rice, Jones works well with pretty much everything, moving the ball, taking shots when open and moving his feet on defense.
“That’s what I do, somebody has got to talk out there,” Jones said when Maize n Brew asked him if he takes pride in his defense at Media Day. “If nobody’s talking, people can get confused. I feel like if somebody isn’t talking it’s my job to talk for them at times. Just me being a vet guard and being around the block a little bit, that’s my role anywhere I go.”
As loud as Jones is on the court, he’s a pretty quiet guy off of it. Speaking at Media Day, Jones spoke about leading by example on the court, despite not being extroverted.
“I’m not the loudest guy ever, I’m not really an outgoing guy, kind of introverted a little bit, but on the court, I’m as open as I can be,” Jones said. “I always try to lead wherever I go. Last year (at North Texas) I was the only leader on the team, so it was kind of learned behavior.”
Jones’ role has shifted a bit since coming to Michigan. He was a go-to guy, starting at point guard and serving as the team’s second-leading scorer while leading the team in assists (3.7) and steals (1.5) per game. With all the shot creators on this offense, Jones will likely play more of a supplementary role, serving as an experienced guard who can be a consistent glue guy for this group.
We know Michigan wants to play fast, playing 5-on-5 a lot in practice to get used to that quick pace and develop chemistry. That fast-paced is a shift for Jones; per KenPom, he was on a North Texas team that ranked 360th out of 364th in pace and now plays for a head coach in Dusty May who had FAU running at a top-150 pace.
The offense also leaves a lot of room for improvisation and reading the defense, something that Jones loves.
“The only difference I would say is our pace,” Jones said. “At North Texas we were real slow and here it is completely different. Sometimes we have to score in the first four seconds, it’s kind of crazy sometimes.”
“He want to give you a quick action, and then we just play through whatever is next,” Jones said on what May asks from his players on offense. “He’ll probably tell you the first part of the play and you just figure out the rest on the spot. I’m not going to lie, we had a lot of plays at North Texas where I’m dribbling the ball at half court wondering ‘what’s going on? why do I got a defender pressuring me?’ so it’s definitely easier, you play into your strengths, you’re never really trying to do something you’re not capable of.”
When asked why he chose to come to Michigan, “Dusty May” were the first words out of Jones’ mouth. He mentioned FAU’s final four run, saying May helped bring those players a long way.
Jones is hoping he can help Michigan go on a similar run, while playing in an offense with constant movement.
“He was saying that I’m going to be able to be me,” Jones said. “I was looking for a system that was more free-flowing for me, because our offense at North Texas was real stagnant, so that was a huge thing for me. Him having trust in me and me having trust in him.”
It’s clear why May recruited Jones out of the portal. He’s an excellent defender who thrives off the pick-and-roll while also setting up his teammates well.
May faced Jones multiple times in bouts between FAU and North Texas last season, with the experienced guard scoring 17 points and grabbing nine rebounds in two games against the Owls. In scouting Jones ahead of those matchups, May saw something in Jones, who will now play a key role with the Wolverines.
“The reason I wanted to bring him in is so I wouldn’t have to play against him anymore,” Michigan head coach Dusty May said of Jones back in May. “He is a throwback player where he doesn’t care about anything else but winning. He’s got a great IQ, his self-awareness, his ability to adapt to whatever team he’s on and just be a chameleon. Defensively, he played with a torn hamstring the second half of the season and we thought he was the top defender in our league, and our league was a top-10 league, the American Conference. We thought he was the most impactful guard defender in the league.”
