NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Former Archbishop Shaw and Nicholls standout Latrell Jones is taking advantage of every opportunity to showcase his basketball talents in front of the NBA scouts.
That’s evident with the most recent buzz from his camp, with sources telling WGNO that Jones will work out with the New Orleans Pelicans in the coming weeks.
The invite comes after an impressive showing from the 6-foot-5, 180-pound, sharpshooter at the NTX Combine. Jones has also been training here in the city of New Orleans with Rory Poplion, who specializes in professional player development.
“Latrell Jones has truly trusted the process. His level of commitment to his craft is exceptional. We’ve been working since his junior year of high school. He’s gotten better every year because he loves to work. This has been a great journey and for Latrell playing his high school ball at Shaw, winning a (Southland) championship at Nicholls, and now getting a workout with the Pelicans is what working towards your dream is all about,” says Delgado Assistant and Player Development Coach Rory Poplion.
Jones is looking to build off a stellar senior season at Nicholls where he averaged 15 points on 44 percent shooting with 5 rebounds and 2 steals per game. His best basketball was played in Nicholls’ final three games, with Jones averaging 21 points while shooting 53 percent from the field.
He finished the season a two-time Southland Conference Player of the Week and an All-Southland Second-Team selection.
While speaking with former Nicholls head basketball coach Austin Claunch earlier this year, Claunch says Jones checks all of the boxes and has the intangibles to back it up.
“One thing about Latrell Jones is he’s one of the most coachable guys I’ve ever been around,” said former Nicholls head basketball coach Austin Claunch. “Incredible worker, incredible teammate. He’s a guy that you can really lean on from a leadership role in terms of the standard that you hold him to and hold him from an accountability level.
“He can score from all three levels. He can make the catch and shoot threes, he can get to his pull-up, and of course he’s a great athlete. So, he can get to the rim” added Claunch.
Latrell Jones has shown time and time again that he has a skill set that can easily translate to the professional level.
Any shot he is given will be one he is more than capable of knocking down.