After leading Omaha Central to three state championships in four years and setting the school’s all-time scoring record, it is safe to say freshman guard Josh Jones did not spend much time on the bench.

Jones redshirted his first year on campus and found himself spending a lot of time on the bench, which wasn’t an easy transition from his success in high school.

“It was very tough coming from three state championships at Omaha Central. I felt as if I was good enough, but obviously Coach Altman knew better. I guess it was like a dog in a cage, just ready to come out,” Jones said .

With a change to the roster, Jones was freed from his cage. The suspension of junior guard P’Allen Stinnett and a one-game absence of junior guard Darryl Ashford left the Bluejays lacking depth at shooting guard.

It is unknown how long Stinnett will be suspended, but one thing is certain, with Stinnett out, the Bluejays will look for Jones to step in and help the team.

“I’ve been waiting for the moment, but it is more about when my opportunity comes taking advantage of it to put our team in the best position to win, it is more about the team than just from a personal standpoint,” Jones said.

In the Bluejays’ first game without Stinnett, a win against the Bradley Braves, Jones made five of his eight shots and hit three of his six three-pointers, tallying 13 points in 21 minutes. Jones’ following game did not go as well as the Bradley game, with Jones fouling out in 19 minutes of play at Drake. Jones left the game scoring six points, hitting two more three-point shots, and also nabbing a rebound.

Jones continued his hot streak on Wednesday night. Jones topped his previous career high of 13 points, scoring 14 points and hitting four of his six shots, including two additional three-point shots, and making all four of his free throws. Jones helped seal the victory for the Jays with a fast-break dunk with just over a minute left in the second half.

Coach Altman has seen some bright spots in Jones’ game so far this season, but there is always room for improvement.

“He’s hit some shots. He’s made some mistakes defensively, but that comes with inexperience. I like his effort defensively, and offensively he’s been aggressive, which is good with him,” Altman said.

Jones is a fun teammate off the court as well.

“He is the type of guy everyone likes. He is always laughing and up beat. He is the type of person you could talk to all day without having to say a word,” said junior forward Casey Harriman.

Regardless of what the rest of his career holds, Jones is just happy to be able to play the game he loves. A heart valve infection required open-heart surgery when Jones was a senior in high school. He recovered faster than doctors expected and was able to return to win his third state title as a senior.

Jones now has his health, and his opportunity to make a name for himself as a Bluejay. This is something for which Jones and Bluejay fans alike can be thankful.