NBA Draft Scouting Report: Xavier's Colby Jones

Prospect Profile 

Jones has been on draft radars dating back to his late high school days as a four-star recruit into his freshman college season in 2020, but has really emerged as a legitimate NBA prospect early in this season.

He’s got great positional size at 6-foot-6, with the ability to play either guard position or slide over to the wing. While Jones can run point, it’s more likely he plays off ball at the next level. He can certainly pass well, but not necessarily set others up at a high level.

While he will be 21 on draft night, the versatility the Xavier junior brings will be intriguing to teams.

Jones scores well off the bounce, with effective scoring tactics in the midrange and at the rim. He lacks an elite first step and isn’t a crazy athlete, but uses his size and length to his advantage. Furthermore on the offensive end, he moves well without the ball which puts him in the right position to score efficiently.

Overall, he’s a very fundamentally sound player on that end, doing the little things right rather than trying to be too flashy.

Where Jones really struggles is from beyond the arc. Interestingly enough, the mechanics of his jumper aren’t bad. His shot is somewhat slow due to him bringing the ball down on the catch, but he’s got a tight and smooth stroke that passes the eye test. Regardless, this will be the absolute swing skill for him and could dramatically impact where he’s taken on draft night, whether positive or negative.

Jones was a poor free throw shooter last season, but looks much improved on that front. This can often be a good sign for the future of a player’s jump shot, so perhaps the triple will come around.

He’s also an improving playmaker, starting to get better at creating for himself as his role increases through the years.

One of the most promising things for the third year college player is his rebounding numbers. Not only can he play either guard position, but he also rebounds like a big. As a sophomore, Jones pulled down an outstanding 7.3 boards per game. In the modern NBA, this will allow him to play in undersized lineups as a potential stretch four.

On the defensive end, Jones absolutely has upside, but needs to limit the mistakes. There’s been moments in which he plays undisciplined defense at times, but can guard four positions well nonetheless.

When thinking about the overall game of Jones, he’s truly a hybrid guard that can play forward. He’s smart, versatile and fundamentally sound. These are the types of players that don’t have the most jaw-dropping highlights, but impact winning and get noticed by scouts.

Entering this season, Jones was deservedly on the preseason All-BIG EAST First Team. This comes after being named the NIT Most Outstanding Player last season, averaging a team-high 14.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per contest as the Musketeers won the tournament. In the biggest moment of his season, Jones even scored 21 points in the championship game.

If he wants to be potentially taken in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft, it could simply come down to developing into a good 3-point shooter. Either way, he’ll likely be taken in the second round even if that doesn’t happen. 

Highlights 

Draft Projection 

Second-Round Pick in 2023 NBA Draft.

2023 Big Board 

Want to know more about other potential 2023 NBA Draft prospects? Check out our Draft Digest Big Board.

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