I’m wolfing down Bo-Berry Biscuits in the corner of a high-school gym. It’s 7:45 a.m. on a Wednesday in late August, and I’m still half asleep. Luckily, the kids won’t show up for Nike Basketball Camp until 8:30.
At the other end of the court, my former varsity assistant Coach D is working out three players. One guy repping a V-sabre shirt finishes the drill and tumbles to the floor like a marathon runner past the tape. His name is Teven Jones.
Jones went to the University for two and a half years. As a redshirt freshman in 2013-14, he missed the season-opener for a violation of team policy but soon got his act together. Jones started nine games, shot 37 percent from three and scored a career-high 13 points against North Texas.
The following season, Jones' playing time was cut drastically to four minutes a game. He started in zero contests and recorded a field-goal percentage of 16.7, which isn’t too promising statistically.
His swagger lost and pride shaken, Jones announced his decision to transfer in April of 2014. He landed at Tarleton State, a Division II school in the “Cowboy Capital of the World,” Stephenville, Texas.
The day after that early morning in the gym, I interviewed T.J. (not Thomas Jefferson) by phone for this piece.
Grant Gossage: What do you miss most about your time at U.Va.?
Teven Jones: Definitely the basketball team and the people that I met are two things I miss the most. It really was a great time. Everything was so much fun, especially the social life [chuckling].
GG: It’s a great place. How about your favorite memory in a game or practice?
TJ: I have to go with my first dunk against Virginia Tech [which drew a technical foul for taunting] or our win against Duke my freshman year, when we stormed the court.
GG: I remember both of those. Who were your best friends on the team?
TJ: Man, everybody was my friend. That’s just how it is. I guess Justin [Anderson], Darion [Atkins] and A-Gill were my closest friends. We still keep in touch.
GG: Your April Fools Day tweet about Justin declaring for the NBA draft had us all scared. [Anderson forewent his fourth year less than two weeks later.]
TJ: Yeah, sorry about that. “Just” put me up to it then played innocent [laughing].
GG: So what’s it like to play for coach [Tony] Bennett?
TJ: It was fun to play for Coach — defense was always the hardest part. He’s a really good dude. At times, players have some beef with him. But that’s going to be the case with any coach, because they expect so much out of their guys.
GG: Did it take a while to adjust to his pack-line defense?
TJ: Yeah, I did have trouble at first. But you see it with most freshmen in that system. [Teven and I agreed B.J. Stith, who transferred to Old Dominion after the 2015 season, is a solid example of this]. The pack-line takes great discipline. I had quick feet, which also helps.
GG: Was it tough to watch all of Virginia’s success on the hardwood last year?
TJ: No, not at all. I’d already experienced similar success the year before. We were regular-season and tournament champions then. I was just happy for those guys and proud of what they’d accomplished.
GG: You don’t regret transferring?
TJ: Going through a rough patch at Tarleton, while my uncle — who lives in Virginia — battled illness, I did have second thoughts about leaving. But now I’m more comfortable with my decision. It’s given me the chance to better my career as a player.
GG: Sure you don’t want to give Virginia a second chance and come play wide receiver for us? [Tev was an all-conference receiver at A.L. Brown High School in Kannapolis, North Carolina and broke the school record for touchdown receptions.]
TJ: It’s a little too late for that. Coach London wanted me to try out while I was there but balancing the academics and the basketball was enough of a challenge.
GG: That’s understandable. So what’s next for you?
TJ: Well, I’ll finish up at Union College in the spring. It’s a D1-NAIA in Kentucky. After that, I’ll play overseas in either the Italian or German league if everything works out.
GG: Anything else you’d like to add?
TJ: Man. I. Love. U.Va.
I wished Tev well and hung up the phone. Although he’s left Grounds, we’ll never forget his sideline dance celebrations from the Running Man to the Bronco. Tev was a fan favorite who loved his school. My brief time with him this summer makes me wish things could’ve worked out at Virginia. But the guy is happy, chasing his dreams elsewhere. We Hoos should be happy about that.
Read More
Thank you, Reece Beekman
By Ben Istvan | 6 hours agoBeekman will leave Charlottesville as the program's all-time leader in steals.
Men’s basketball fills last scholarship, adds Kansas State transfer Dai Dai Ames
By Ben Istvan | 23 hours agoAmes will provide an offensive surge that the Cavaliers’ collective guard group lacked in 2023-24.
Baseball’s bullpen — previous despair and future repair
By Xander Tilock | YesterdayThe Cavaliers' struggles can be fixed by improved roster management and reliance on consistent relief pitchers.
