When C.J. Jones announced his transfer and Darious Hall surprisingly followed suit, a hole opened up on Arkansas' basketball team that needed an immediate fix.
In stepped Mason Jones.
The guard spent one season at the junior college level with Connors State before joining Mike Anderson alongside a bevy of freshmen.
Jones has not only filled the hole, but has been exactly what Anderson needed on the perimeter so far.
Offensively, he’s replaced the production of C.J. Jones and Hall and then some. Those two combined for 11.4 points per game, while Jones is giving the Hogs 13.4 per game.
Jones is doing it by mixing the talents of C.J. and Hall, the former a spot-up shooter and the latter a slasher.
Jones is knocking down 2.3 three-pointers per game at a 42.9 percent clip, both numbers better than what C.J. did last year. He is also hitting 1.6 shots per game inside the arc and adding 3.3 free throws per game. Both numbers are better than Hall’s.
From a sheer production standpoint, Jones is second on the team in rebounds and assists with 5.3 and 2.8 per game, respectively. Both numbers, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, are better than what the pair of transfers did last year combined.
Jones is doing this while playing the same amount of time that C.J. and Hall gave the Razorbacks. Jones is playing 29.1 minutes per game compared to the pair's combined 29.6 minutes in 2017-18.
As for how Jones’ production fits with this year’s edition of the Fastest 40, he hasn’t taken over the team as a go-to option during the non-conference slate. This is a good thing.
Jones has quietly done a little bit of everything as a 6-foot-5 wingman for Arkansas and is positively adding to an offense that has flowed better than Razorback offenses in past years.
He’s a proven scorer, yet has settled himself into a somewhat quiet role. Only 19.6 percent of possessions end with a shot or turnover by Jones when he’s on the floor. That’s tied for fourth on the team with Reggie Chaney and behind Daniel Gafford, Gabe Osabuohien and Isaiah Joe.
Despite that, he’s third on the team in scoring, second in made threes and tied for second in made free throws. Jones has picked his opportunities well with an effective field goal percentage (a formula that weighs three-pointers heavier) of 59.1.
He’s also been steady at the charity stripe following a rough start, shooting 78.9 percent.
Jones has benefitted from an offense that operates through the masses with a floor general in charge and a constant scoring threat in the low-post. As a more experienced option and effective do-it-all scorer, he has helped Arkansas to a strong 7-2 start to the season ahead of Wednesday's home matchup with Georgia Tech.
Opponent: Georgia Tech (5-4 overall, 0-2 on the road)
Location: Bud Walton Arena (Fayetteville)
Tipoff time: 8 p.m. CT
TV: SEC Network
Online stream: WatchESPN/ESPN3.com
Commentators: Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Barry Booker (color analyst)
Radio: Razorback/IMG Sports Network
Satellite: Sirius Channel 135, XM Channel 190 (Internet 961)
Advanced Ratings - Georgia Tech | Arkansas
~NCAA NET: No. 128 | No. 63
~KenPom: No. 95 | No. 49
~Sagarin: No. 84 | No. 42
~ESPN BPI: No. 98 | No. 91
Projections
~Vegas: -8.5 (O/U 145) … That equates to about Arkansas 77, Georgia Tech 68
~ESPN BPI: Arkansas has a 67.4 percent chance to win and is favored by 5.1 points
