Lance Jones Thanks Purdue After Run to National Championship
Lance Jones only spent one year at Purdue, but it didn't take him long to become a fan favorite in West Lafayette. After the Boilermakers' run to the national title game on Monday, the senior guard had a special message for fans.
"Thank you all for making this the best year of my life," Jones wrote in a post on social media. "Boiler 4 Life!"
Jones provided a major spark for the Boilermakers during the 2023-24 season. He averaged 11.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. He was an athletic guard who proved to be effective on both ends of the court.
But his play wasn't the only thing that appealed to fans. Jones played the game hard and with such joy, endearing qualities to the Purdue faithful.
In addition to his tremendous on-court play, Jones also became popular for participating in Purdue's "Sandstorm" dance after halftime. Often, the senior guard was caught doing the dance before the start of the second half.
Jones spent the first four years of his college career at Southern Illinois. His best statistical season came in 2021-22, when he averaged 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game, all career highs.
Although he played all four seasons at Southern Illinois, Jones had one additional year of eligibility to use because of the NCAA's Covid-19 waiver. He decided to transfer to Purdue, where he helped lead the program to its first Final Four appearance in 1980 and played in its first national championship since 1969.
For his career, Jones averaged 12.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
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