'I'm gonna be at Memphis': David Jones vows to officially join the Tigers soon
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — The media swarm almost completely enveloped David Jones.
A native son of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Jones gave several brief interviews Wednesday, making happy campers out of a handful of eager local media members. Then, Jones called timeout. He knew the scrum included some out-of-town reporters from Memphis, and there were some things he wanted to address with them.
Channeling his inner Sam & Dave, Jones’ message was simple: Hold on, I’m coming.
“I’m gonna be at Memphis,” he said, smiling wide. “Y’all my second home, for sure. Don’t worry about it.”
Jones was fresh off a 12-point night in an exhibition win for the Dominican National Team at the Palacio de los Deportes. That’s where a boisterous, standing room-only crowd of more than 8,000 gave Penny Hardaway’s Tigers a taste of Caribbean basketball fandom. It also served as the backdrop for a 16-minute preview of what Memphis can soon come to expect from Jones.
The 6-foot-6 forward, a graduate transfer from St. John's, is one of two players who are either committed or signed but have not yet reported to campus. Mikey Williams, the 4-star freshman who was arrested in April on six counts of felony gun charges, is the other. But Jones’ delayed arrival – along with the recent arrival of another transfer forward Jaykwon Walton and the still-potential return of forward DeAndre Williams – has been enough to plant seeds of doubt in some people's minds.
Jones, however, did his best to assuage even the most cynical Tigers fan’s skepticism.
“Yeah, I’m coming to Memphis,” he said.
The holdup – or, holdups?
“I’m just waiting to finish my school at St. John’s, fix my (student) visa, then I’m gonna be at Memphis,” said Jones. “I’m working hard to do it.”
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International students are required to obtain a Form I-20 (also known as a certificate of eligibility for nonimmigrant student status, according to the Department of Homeland Security website).
Jones said he and the staff have a target date of Aug. 15 for his ETA in Memphis. He added that expectation is not set in stone, but “that’s what we’re shooting for.”
As for the mental gymnastics at play Wednesday – when he dazzled, hitting a perfect 5-for- 5 from the field with four rebounds and two steals in a 91-84 victory over the Tigers – Jones wasn’t quite sure how to feel afterward.
“It felt a little weird, though, because, you know, this is gonna be my future teammates. I’m going to be playing with them,” he said. “But, at the end of the day, this is my country. This is my blood. This is my people out here. But, for sure, (Memphis is) my family (too). My brothers.”
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @munzly.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis basketball: Transfer David Jones vows to join Tigers soon
