'Unorthodox' Jones Makes Huge Impact for FHSU

By David Boyce

Whenever 5-foot-7 junior guard Dominique Jones steps to the free throw line for Fort Hays State, watch him closely.

It has nothing to do with the remarkable way he gets to the line despite being one of the shortest players on the court.

Jones has a unique way of shooting a free throw. Jones only uses his right hand for the shot. The left arm is at his side.

"We had long discussions about it," Fort Hays coach Mark Johnson said.

Jones has been shooting free throws like that since his freshmen year in high school in Harlem, N.Y.

"Coach Johnson tried to stop me, but he saw I was pretty accurate so he let me continue," Jones said.

Jones is shooting 83 percent from the line this season. Why change success, Johnson said.

Plus, there is so much more to Jones' game than his truly original free throw shooting style.

"I describe him that he's kind of unorthodox in everything he does," Johnson said. "But his skill level is high. He can dribble, pass and shoot.

"That sounds pretty simple, but there are not too many guys who can dribble, pass and shoot. A lot of guys can shoot a little bit, drive a little bit or pass a little bit. To me, he can do all those things."

And that basically sums up the way Jones played Wednesday night when he scored a game-high 29 points in helping Fort Hays beat Emporia State 69-65 at White Auditorium.

Fort Hays, ranked No. 5 in NCAA Division II, is 16-1 overall and 10-0 in the MIAA. Jones is one of six new players in a nine-man rotation that has made a difference.

In recent years, the Tigers started slow in conference play and made a second-half push in February.

Jones, who is tied for the team lead in scoring with Corbin Kuntzsch at 14.2, has added another dimension to a team with three returning leaders.

"He adds play-making ability and ability to get to the basket and make plays for other people. He sees the floor really well when he drives," Kuntzsch said.

"Dom is a smart player. When he lets the game come to him he's a great player. He's a great shooter. You saw it (Wednesday night). He's clutch. He hits shots when we need him to hit shots."

And that's what Jones did in spectacular fashion against Emporia State. In the final 10 minutes Jones mixed a couple of daring drives for layups with dagger three-pointers.

"I just try to use my basketball IQ and read the defenses on a particular play," Jones said.

Take Jones' contributions away and Emporia State might have pulled off an upset.

Emporia State coach Dave Moe fully understood what happened Wednesday night. As disappointed as Moe was afterward he still had a warm enough heart to praise the play of Jones.

"Dominique has been terrific. I like unique little guards like that," Moe said. "He's 5-7, he's quick and he's got a good feel for how to play. He doesn't take bad shots. He breaks guys down. He makes good decisions and does some good things.

"Obviously, he stepped up and hit some big shots at big times."

Sure, this is another success story of a basketball player from a big East Coast city who comes to the Midwest plains and thrives.

It's one of the charms of college athletics in this country, the mixing of players from different regions into a cohesive unit.

"I took a visit and loved the environment and loved the school. I love the coaches," Jones said.

"It is a change. Everybody thinks in a bad way, but really it is in a good way. Everybody wants to get to know you and appreciate you. It's a family-oriented environment. I love that about Fort Hays."

Johnson has brought in other players from New York, but Jones is a little different. Jones attended junior college in New York City whereas the other JUCO transfers went away from home.

"Dominique is really the first kid who has come straight out of Harlem and come to Hays," Johnson said. "That's not an easy adjustment, and a lot of kids can't make that adjustment.

"The big thing is the type of kid Dominique is. If you ever talk to Dominique and know him off the court, he is quiet, soft spoken, a complete opposite of what you see on the court. So he's really adjusted well. I really enjoy being around him."

Jones definitely isn't the boisterous type after a game. After victories at Central Missouri and at Emporia State, he responded to questions in the same calm manner.

"We know we are going to get teams' best shot every time out," Jones said. "It's a tough conference to play in. Any given night, if we are caught slipping, we could get beat. We got to keep working hard and maintain that effort."

Needless to say, it has been an enjoyable season so far for him and all the Tigers.

"I just love my teammates," he said "They are great guys. We stick together.

"We have a very talented team. On any night it could be anybody. I embrace that and embrace my role on the team."

To reach David Boyce, contributing writer for the MIAA, e-mail dboyce@themiaa.com.