Carlik Jones 2021 NBA Draft Profile
(Photo of Carlik Jones: Scott Utterback - Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC)
Prospect: Carlik Jones
Position: Point Guard/Shooting Guard
School: Louisville
Year: Graduate Student
Height, Weight: 6-1, 185
Background
Born Dec. 23, 1997 (age 23) to father Carl and mother Felicia. He was diagnosed with craniosynostosis at age two, a brain condition where the bones in an infant's skull fuse together too early. He was unable to play contact sports until he was five, but he overcame the condition.
A Cincinnati native, he played for Aiken High School, helping them claim four straight district championships. As a senior, he averaged 22.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game, and was name the Player of the Year in his division. Despite this, he was not highly recruited out of high school, choosing to attend Radford over Bowling Green, Buffalo and East Tennessee State.
He redshirted his first year with the Highlanders, which proved to be instrumental in his development. As a redshirt freshman, he put up 11.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, and was named the Big South Freshman of the Year. The next year, he averaged 15.7/5.2/5.8, and was named First Team All-Big South.
Jones' redshirt junior year put him on the national map. He averaged 20.0 points, 5.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds, was the only player in the nation to average 20/5/5 that season, and won Big South Player of the Year. He decided to enter the portal as a graduate transfer, as chose Louisville to finish his collegiate career.
Not only did his skill set translate well to the Atlantic Coast Conference, he established himself as one of the best players in the league. He averaged 16.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, was named a First Team All-ACC selection, and finished tied for second in the conference player of the year vote. He passed up an extra year of eligibility to declare for the draft.
Collegiate Stats
| Year | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017-18 | 11.8 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 41.3% | 30.5% | 76.7% |
2018-19 | 15.7 | 5.2 | 5.8 | 46.3% | 24.7% | 75.8% |
2019-20 | 20.0 | 5.1 | 5.5 | 48.8% | 40.9% | 81.4% |
2020-21 | 16.8 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 40.2% | 32.1 | 81.5% |
NBA Draft Combine Measurements
Anthropometric Stats
- Body Fat %: 4.50%
- Hand Length (Inches): 8.25
- Hand Width (Inches): 9.00
- Height W/O Shoes: 6'0.0"
- Height W/ Shoes: 6'1.00"
- Standing Reach: 8'1.5"
- Weight (LBS): 173.6
- Wingspan: 6'5.0"
Strength & Agility Stats
- Lane Agility Time (Seconds): 10.96
- Shuttle Run (Seconds): 3.23
- Three Quarter Sprint (Seconds): 3.16
- Standing Vertical Leap (Inches): 31.5
- Max Vertical Leap (Inches): 36.0
Scouting Report
Strengths
- Jones thrives in the big time moments. He sank five buzzer beaters during his time at Radford, including one in the 2018 Big South Championship that sent the Highlanders to the NCAA Tournament. At Louisville, he hit double figures in 18 of his 19 games, including the first 17 of the season. Scored 25, 24 and 13 in three games against Duke.
- He makes up for his slight stature with an incredibly crafty game. He has a high level of agility, stopping and starting with ease, and has good lateral quickness to boot. He is great in the pick-and-roll, and knows how to create and exploit mismatches.
- He's a playmaker in every sense of the word. While he won't blow you away with his scoring or distributing, he is exceptionally efficient in both categories.
Weaknesses
- It goes without saying that his size is a tremendous detractor to his potential at the next level. While he plays much tougher than would indicate, he will dwarf in comparison to others in the NBA, especially those in the frontcourt.
- He is an average defender, managing just 26 steals in 19 games during his lone season at Louisville. As previously noted, this will be further magnified due to his size.
- Is an average shooter. He connected on 32.1 percent of his total three-point attempts, but was just 26 percent on on midrange shots (17-20 feet) and 33 percent on jump shots within 17 feet.
Highlights
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