Dr Dave Adkins and why he should be in the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame
February 14, 2021
Ricky Jones
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 23/01/67
- Place of Birth: Anderson, South Carolina (USA)
- Position: FRD
- Height (CM): 202
- Weight (KG): 105
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: Clemson (1986–1991)
- NBL DEBUT: 17/04/93
- AGE AT DEBUT: 26
- LAST NBL GAME: 23/09/94
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 27
- NBL History: Townsville 1993-94
- Championships: 0
- None
NICKNAME/S: The Rainman
BIO: Ricky Jones was born in Anderson, South Carolina (USA).
NBL EXPERIENCE
Ricky Jones made his NBL debut with the Townsville Suns at 26 years of age. He scored 47 points in his first game.
Townsville entered the NBL in 1993 as the league’s newest expansion franchise, debuting under the name “Townsville Suns” with local coach Mark Bragg at the helm and veteran Graham Kubank named captain. The team began the season with a roster featuring locals David Blades, Lucas Agrums, Jason Cameron, Tonny Jensen, and Kubank—most of whom had previously played for Townsville’s state league team—and paired them with imports Ricky Jones and Rimas Kurtinaitis.
Townsville’s first import signing, Rimas Kurtinaitis, a 33-year-old Lithuanian Olympian, made NBL history as the first European-born player to feature as an import. The Suns struggled out of the gate, dropping their first four games before recording their first-ever NBL victory—a 98–89 home win over Newcastle on May 14. With a sell-out crowd behind them, Townsville prevailed behind a combined 50+ points from Kurtinaitis and Jones. That result snapped a four-game losing skid and validated the team’s arrival in the NBL.
The Suns’ most memorable win came in Round 11, when they upset Adelaide 105–103 at the Clipsal Powerhouse behind Kurtinaitis’ 41-point barrage. Ricky Jones added 26 points and 12 rebounds, helping Townsville secure its third win of the year in one of their most impressive outings. It would prove to be one of just four wins during their inaugural campaign, as the team finished in last place with a 4–22 record.
The Suns’ final win of the season came in thrilling fashion on August 13, when they defeated Geelong 125–124 in a high-scoring shootout without Kurtinaitis (24.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists), who had departed with five games left in the season to join Real Madrid. Ricky Jones again starred, powering the Suns past a Shane Heal-led Supercats team in one of the league’s most exciting games of the year. That performance snapped a long losing streak and capped a challenging but historic debut season. Kurtinaitis’ departure earlier that month was marked by an emotional send-off at The Furnace, with the Lithuanian star saluted by a capacity crowd chanting “goodbye” in his native tongue.
Jones (28.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.2 blocks), proved one of the league’s most explosive scorers, leading the NBL in blocks. Jones scored 30 or more in 20 separate contests and made an immediate impact in the team’s inaugural outing, scoring 47 points in a 110–106 loss to Newcastle on April 17—a single-game franchise record that still stands.
Other key contributors during Townsville’s inaugural season were David Blades (11.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists), who provided steady leadership in the backcourt, while Tonny Jensen (9.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists) and Brian Andrews (10.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists) offered additional scoring punch on the perimeter. Captain Graham Kubank added (6.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists), Jason Cameron (5.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists) and Lucas Agrums (8.6 points, 5.4 rebounds) also provided scoring from the bench.
Townsville’s debut season may have ended with a 4–22 record and the NBL wooden spoon, but it delivered unforgettable moments and set the foundation for the future. The club achieved record-breaking support, selling out every home game at the Townsville Entertainment Centre and becoming the first NBL team to sign a European import. Ricky Jones would earn the Club MVP award (Kevin Sugars Medal) and together with Kurtinaitis, combine for over 50 points per night, providing nightly highlight-reel performances, while a committed local core helped introduce top-flight basketball to North Queensland.
1994
Townsville entered their second NBL season aiming to improve on their challenging inaugural campaign. Head coach Mark Bragg reshaped the roster, losing star import Rimas Kurtinaitis along with Tonny Jensen and Paul Simpson (both to Newcastle), while bringing in new recruits Simon O’Donnell (via Newcastle), Cameron Dickinson (via state league), and American import Jeff Warren to join returning standout Ricky Jones.
The Suns began the season brightly, defeating Hobart 96–79, spearheaded by Ricky Jones (32 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 4 assists) and Jeff Warren, who impressed in his debut (20 points and 7 rebounds). Lamont Middleton (22 points) led the Devils.
However, Warren’s tenure lasted just five games before he was released, replaced briefly by Howard Chambers. Chambers played only a single game but delivered a strong performance (19 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds) in a 115–105 loss to Newcastle, before being replaced by former NBA talent Darryl Johnson. Johnson stabilised the Suns’ backcourt, averaging (25 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 2.8 steals) across the remainder of the season.
Ricky Jones continued to lead Townsville’s offensive charge, averaging (27.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks), making him one of the NBL’s elite talents through his scoring versatility and rim protection. Dickinson (12.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists) emerged as a reliable second scoring threat, while captain Graham Kubank provided steady leadership with (9.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists). Simon O’Donnell’s presence on the boards was critical, averaging (7.8 points and 8.2 rebounds).
Memorable games included a commanding 114–90 victory over Canberra, driven by Darryl Johnson’s explosive effort (40 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals, 14/21 FG, 8/8 FT) and Jones’ powerful inside performance (36 points, 8 rebounds). Jason Reese top-scored for the Cannons with 23 points. Later in the season, Townsville faced Geelong in a high-scoring matchup, where Jones (39 points) and Johnson (31 points) combined for 70 points but ultimately fell 140–111, due to a strong display from Geelong’s Vince Hinchen (35 points).
A significant highlight came in their second-to-last home game, where Townsville secured a thrilling 108–107 upset victory over the highly-favoured South East Melbourne Magic. Ricky Jones (34 points), Darryl Johnson (23 points, 10 assists), and Cameron Dickinson (23 points) led the charge, narrowly overcoming a Magic side paced by Adonis Jordan (23 points) and Andrew Parkinson (23 points).
The season concluded disappointingly, however, with Townsville suffering a heavy 141–105 defeat to Brisbane, a contest marked by Shane Heal’s memorable 61-point explosion (12/19 3P). Jones (32 points) and Johnson (29 points, 5 assists) battled valiantly, but Heal’s remarkable performance—combined with strong showings from Leroy Loggins (19 points) and Andre Moore (18 points)—proved overwhelming in the Suns’ final outing.
Townsville endured another difficult campaign overall, finishing with a 6-20 record, registering two more wins than their debut season to avoid the wooden spoon, an unwanted honour that instead went to Hobart.
Ricky Jones played two seasons the Townsville Suns. He averaged 27.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2 assists in 52 NBL games.
CAREER RANKINGS:
– 16th in points per game.
– 14th in blocks per game.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 27 | Townsville | 6-20 (14) | 26 | 1,131.0 | 711 | 208 | 46 | 75 | 133 | 25 | 59 | 79 | 99 | 264 | 563 | 47% | 44 | 127 | 35% | 139 | 207 | 67% | 54% | 51% | 42 |
| 1993 | 26 | Townsville | 4-22 (14) | 26 | 1,102.0 | 729 | 243 | 59 | 75 | 168 | 27 | 58 | 103 | 93 | 280 | 577 | 49% | 65 | 158 | 41% | 104 | 133 | 78% | 57% | 54% | 53 | Totals | 52 | 2233 | 1440 | 451 | 105 | 150 | 301 | 52 | 117 | 182 | 192 | 544 | 1140 | 47.7% | 109 | 285 | 38.2% | 243 | 340 | 71.5% | 56% | 53% | 53 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 27 | Townsville | 6-20 (14) | 26 | 43.5 | 27.3 | 8.0 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 5.1 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 10.2 | 21.7 | 47% | 1.7 | 4.9 | 35% | 5.3 | 8.0 | 67% | 54% | 51% | 42 |
| 1993 | 26 | Townsville | 4-22 (14) | 26 | 42.4 | 28.0 | 9.3 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 6.5 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 10.8 | 22.2 | 49% | 2.5 | 6.1 | 41% | 4.0 | 5.1 | 78% | 57% | 54% | 53 | Total | 52 | 42.9 | 27.7 | 8.7 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 5.8 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 10.5 | 21.9 | 47.7% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 38.2% | 2.1 | 5.5 | 71.5% | 56% | 53% | 53 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 53 | 19 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 0 |
|---|
COLLEGE
Jones played college basketball at Clemson from the 1986-87 season through 1990-91, spending his entire NCAA career in the ACC under head coach Cliff Ellis.
He first saw action as a freshman in 1986-87, appearing in 2 games for a Clemson team that finished 25-6 overall, went 10-4 in ACC play, and ended the season ranked No. 13 in the final AP poll, while he totaled 9 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 27 minutes.
In 1987-88, Jones played 27 games with 6 starts as Clemson went 14-15 overall and 4-10 in the ACC, and he produced 147 points (5.4 per game) on 60-for-137 shooting, including 10-for-40 from three, with 39 rebounds, 24 assists, 16 blocks, and 6 steals in 429 minutes.
As a sophomore in 1988-89, Clemson finished 19-11 overall and returned to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 9 seed in the West Region, defeating Saint Mary’s 83-70 before falling to No. 1 seed Arizona 94-68, while Jones appeared in 26 games with 16 starts and totaled 111 points (4.3 per game) on 41-for-96 shooting with 10 made threes, plus 40 rebounds and 18 assists.
In 1989-90, Clemson won the ACC regular season title with a 10-4 league record and finished the year 24-8, with one of the signature moments coming in a 97-93 win over No. 5 Duke on February 28, 1990, in front of a sellout crowd at Littlejohn Coliseum.
That postseason run ended in the Sweet 16 with a 71-70 loss to Connecticut on a last-second shot, and the NCAA path included Clemson reaching the 26-win mark and overcoming a 16-point deficit against LaSalle in the tournament to advance.
Jones contributed as a junior in 1989-90 across 31 games (6 starts), scoring 119 points (3.8 per game) on 47-for-93 shooting, adding 46 rebounds and 23 assists, while also recording 15 blocks and 11 steals in 269 minutes.
In Clemson’s 49-47 NCAA Tournament win over BYU on March 15, 1990, Jones hit one of two free throws with five seconds left, and BYU’s final jumper missed at the buzzer.
Jones stepped into a larger role as a senior in 1990-91, starting 24 of 27 games and averaging 10.7 points and 4.4 rebounds as Clemson went 11-17 overall and 2-12 in ACC play.
During that 1990-91 season, he totaled 290 points on 116-for-212 shooting, went 1-for-5 from three, made 57-of-92 free throws, and added 118 rebounds, 28 assists, 25 blocks, and 20 steals in 623 minutes.
Across his Clemson career, Jones played 113 games with 52 starts and finished with 676 points, 251 rebounds, 97 assists, 63 blocks, and 46 steals, while shooting 267-for-551 from the field, 24-for-87 from three, and 118-for-193 at the line.
AWARDS
- 1x NBL Blocks Leader
- McDonald's All-American (1986)
Related
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