Arkansas freshman quarterback Matt Jones will make his debut in a Razorbacks basketball jersey Tuesday night when Arkansas hosts No. 24 Mississippi State.

Jones passed his one-day tryout Monday and will fill the 15th spot on the Arkansas roster against the Bulldogs. NCAA rules only allow teams to suit out 15 players in conference games. Arkansas has 13 scholarship players and walk-on Jamar Blackmon.

Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson said he welcomed Jones’ addition to the team, but downplayed any immediate effects on the team’s chemistry.

“I know it’s a big deal for y’all to have Matt Jones out here, but it’s not a big deal for us,” Richardson said of his Razorbacks, who are on a three-game winning streak and coming off back-to-back road wins against Memphis and Auburn.

Richardson said Jones need “learning and conditioning” but he expected him to come along well on both fronts.

“It takes a little bit of time,” Richardson said. “But Matt is a pretty smart guy. There are some guys it takes a long period, there are some guys who pick up stuff pretty quick. Matt being a quarterback, usually those guys have a pretty good picture. He’s already a pretty good basketball player, so I think he’ll pick up those things probably a lot quicker than another kid would.”

The Razorbacks will be off Wednesday and travel to LSU on Saturday. Richardson said he would have a better feel for what Jones could do by Thursday or Friday.

“It’s hard to put a time on it, but just the walk-through tomorrow just showing him what we do is a plus for him,” Richardson said. “We have a game Tuesday and we’re off Wednesday and he comes back Thursday and maybe gets into the motion a little bit so we can put him into a practice. Then you can see from that point.

“The only thing he went through today was drills. Apparently he’s a good basketball player because he understood the drills. He played good high school ball. He played at a good school and for a good coach. I just think he’s a good enough athlete to pick up stuff a lot quicker than some.”

Jones said he discussed his basketball future with football coach Houston Nutt and quarterbacks coach David Lee and both were supportive of his decision. Nutt played quarterback and basketball during his collegiate career at Arkansas and Oklahoma State.

“Coach Nutt knows, he played two sports when he was here so he was very supportive and he understands,” Jones said. “The coaches have been real nice.”

Jones first brought up the subject to Nutt after the Hogs’ season-ending 41-38 loss to LSU Nov. 23 and has been shooting around and playing pickup games back home in Van Buren, but is far from being in basketball shape.

“I’m not in basketball shape,” Jones said. “It’s totally two different styles of [conditioning]. Then you have the other style with coach Richardson, which is another totally different kind of basketball shape.”

Jones said Nutt kept the promise he made while recruiting Jones that he could play both sports if he wanted.

“That was the thing,” Jones said. “He came to a basketball game of mine and talked to me after a game and told me I could play both sports if I wanted to and that was a big part of me coming to Arkansas.”

Nutt will be in San Antonio until Wednesday for a coaches convention and was unavailable for comment.

Two other football players, tight ends Jason Peters and Nathan Ball, tried out but will not being joining the team or continuing to practice. Former tight end Joe Dean Davenport played with the basketball team after completing his senior year in the 2000 Cotton Bowl, but that was when Arkansas was short on numbers and size.

“Sometimes the timing isn’t right,” Richardson said.

Jones said he wasn’t concerned about basketball season overlapping spring football. The SEC Tournament is March 7-10 and the NCAA Tournament starts the next week.

“If I’m with the team then I’ll stay with the team,” Jones said.

Spring practice traditionally begins in the middle of March, but no date has been set for the first workout. The spring football game will be April 6.

“I approach it as I’ll be in great shape by the time spring practice comes,” Jones said. “I think I’ll be in real good shape. I just need a break from football. I’ve always played basketball, so I’m looking forward to it.”

“I have all summer to do stuff so I don’t think it’s going to be a big deal.”

Meanwhile, Jones said he is going to enjoy his seat on the Arkansas bench tomorrow night.

“I know I’m not going to play,” Jones said. “I mean I might, but it’s just to get the experience to sit there and watch and kind of feel an SEC game. It’s going to be great.”