It didn’t take long for DeVante’ Jones to get fans hyped about the beginning of his time in Ann Arbor. The transfer guard from Coastal Carolina and 2020 Sun Belt Player of the Year is coming to compete for a championship with a Michigan Wolverines squad that is projected to be among the best teams in the country.
He spoke with The Front Office on Instagram and Twitter and riled up Michigan fans saying, “Ann Arbor, I know you missed out this season. We’re coming back, and we have one of the best-recruiting classes in the country. We’re about to make a big run at this national championship.”
Devante Jones (@3DevanteJ) caught up with us on why he committed to @UMichBball & more:
— The Front Office (@tfrontoffice) May 6, 2021
“Ann Arbor, we’re coming back and we got one of the best recruiting classes in the country and we’re about to make a big run after this national championship.” pic.twitter.com/DJObg10Hbf
Jones credited Howard and his understanding with the fluidity of his situation that led him to choose Michigan.
“The relationship I built with Juwan Howard throughout the whole process,” he said. “He just understood the position that I was in. I told him that, when I did commit there, I wanted to still declare for the (NBA) draft, just to get some feedback and see where I was at.”
Jones continued, “We talk almost every day. He just told me what he expects from me coming straight in. He’s telling me he feels like I’m a big impact right away.”
Jones was a leader at Coastal Carolina, but how is that going to transition to the Big Ten and what coach Howard plans for him? He said Howard wants him to be that same kind of guy in Ann Arbor and “have the ball in my hands, be that point guard. Basically, be that coach on the floor. Leading the freshmen, a great group of freshmen is coming in.”
In terms of transitioning to a Power 5 conference, Jones doesn’t seem too worried, saying, “At the end of the day, it’s just basketball,” and that he is “coming in with a chip on my shoulder.”
“Knowing that it won’t be easy, but I can adjust to it because I’ve been in a lot of situations where I’ve had to adjust. (I just have to) play my game, come in and not try and do too much, play within the system. Letting guys trust me, you know? Just being the playmaker that I can be. Playing with Hunt(er Dickinson), (Eli) Brooks, talented freshmen coming in, it’s going to be easier for me than a lot of people think. I’m ready for it.”
The future Michigan point guard touched on the brotherhood he felt with some of the Wolverines players saying “It was a family thing,” pointing toward specific players like Dickinson, who helped recruit him to play in Ann Arbor and Jace Howard.
While that family atmosphere is something he is looking forward to, he said playing at the Crisler Center is what he is most looking forward to.
“I’ve been getting a lot of love from the fans each day. It’s just going to be great playing in front of the Ann Arbor fans. I heard the games are always packed. I just can’t wait to get in front of that big environment.”