NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk State men's basketball coach, Robert Jones loves the game. He also loves his hometown of South Jamaica, Queens, New York. Jones recently celebrated his 43rd birthday and gets late gift of having both happen week starting July 16th.
Jones will lead a HBCUnited squad in one of eight regional sites around the country at The Basketball Tournament. It's the 9th year of the annual event which has a 64 team field. The winning team gets $1 million.
His squad will be playing their regional in a place known as a hoops holy ground at Rucker Park in Harlem.
"I've been to Rucker a few times", he says. "Actually on the court only the second time ever in my life at the Rucker so it will be like coaching in the Garden".
The core group of his squad will consist of former Spartan players like Devante Carter, Derrik Jamerson and Steven Whitley. After watching a TBT game last season, Jones saw that a team of historically black college players was losing by nearly 30 points. He felt it was imperative to alter the perception.
"This is just another platform at the professional level to try and change that narrative about HBCU basketball and as long as I'm an HBCU coach, I do take it personal".
His first game out, he'll have the chance to face off against team Skip To My Lou led by former Rucker Park great and NBA player, Rafer Alston who's also a Queens native like Jones. "I called Skip immediately and I had to talk a little trash to him", he joked. "I told him you can't play so I don't know if that's going to help you".