Trip to Portland a homecoming for Kentucky's Terrence Jones

Trip to Portland a homecoming for Kentucky's Terrence Jones

By Brett Dawson • bdawson@courier-journal.com • November 17, 2010


LEXINGTON, Ky. — Terrence Jones will see some familiar faces and visit some of his favorite spots at home in Portland, Ore., when he travels there this week with his University of Kentucky basketball teammates.

But the most important thing on his to-do list is supposed to be Friday night’s game against Portland (3-0).

“Terrence thinks he’s (going) home to vacation,” UK coach John Calipari said Wednesday. “He doesn’t know we’re playing a basketball game, because he’s never done this before. He’s already lined up everything he’s going to do by the minute when he goes home. He probably hasn’t listed the game on Friday at 7:30 as something.”

Jones chuckled at that suggestion.

The 6-foot-8 freshman forward – a former star at Jefferson High School in Portland – said though he’s excited to play in front of his mother and grandmother and to visit home on the way to the Wildcats’ games in next week’s Maui Invitational, he’s staying focused on playing the Pilots Friday in the Rose Garden.

“I don’t really have that much planned,” Jones said. “(Calipari’s) just saying that.”

Jones does plan, though, to show off an all-around game that he said has improved dramatically in a short time at UK.

He plays harder, he said. Extra hours in the gym have paid off on his jump shot.

In UK’s season opener, Jones had 25 points and 12 rebounds and was named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week.

“It’ll mean a lot, just to have the chance to play in front of my mom and my grandma, just show them me as a college player and how much I’ve improved since high school, just how much harder I play,” Jones said.