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Former USC point guard Maurice Jones looking for a fresh start

Maurice Jones, Josh Huestis

Southern California guard Maurice Jones, right, shoots around Stanford forward Josh Huestis during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Los Angeles, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

AP

Just a few days into the fall semester last year, it was announced that USC point guard Maurice Jones was academically ineligible to play in 2012-13. Coming off of a season in which he averaged 13.0 points and 3.5 assists per game, Jones would have seen his role change some due to the addition of players who missed the 2011-12 season due to injury or transfer rules would could have helped handle the scoring load.

In theory that assistance would have made Jones a more efficient player, as he posted an offensive rating of 85.4 despite having a possession percentage of 27.4% as a sophomore according to kenpom.com. But Jones’ ineligibility turned out to be the first sign that the 2012-13 season wouldn’t be a stable one for the Trojans, who struggled with inconsistency all season long and eventually handed the keys to the program over to Andy Enfield in the spring.

What happened to Jones after being ruled ineligible? He transferred to Iowa State with the intention of being eligible to play for the Cyclones in 2013, but that plan fell through when he was ruled ineligible to join Fred Hoiberg’s program. With that door being closed the Saginaw, Mich. native spent last season at home. No basketball, no school. Jones is back on the college landscape this fall however, as he’s enrolled at Division II Northwood University in Midland, Mich. and has joined the basketball program.

“When I found out I didn’t have a scholarship, I transferred from Southern Cal, but then I couldn’t get a scholarship at Iowa State either,” Jones said. “I didn’t even go to school last year.

“Nobody was interested in letting me play. I was shooting around with one of my best friends from Saginaw, Darvin Ham, and he plays for Northwood. He said to give Northwood a chance. It’s funny, but once people found out I was going to Northwood, other coaches were a lot more interested.”

Jones expects to hear from the NCAA in regards to when he’ll be eligible to take the floor in a couple of weeks, with the hope that he’ll be allowed to play immediately according to Hugh Bernreuter of mlive.com. Jones’ situation is a bit more complicated than that of the standard transfer however, as he has two appeals to file.

According to the story not only is there the appeal to be allowed to play immediately, but also an appeal to regain the semester lost since he began the fall 2012 semester at USC. But regardless of what happens with his appeals Jones knows at he will have another opportunity to play somewhere, it’s just a matter of when.

Just a year ago, that possibility wasn’t a sure thing.

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