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FAYETTEVILLE — Mason Jones is the newest member of Arkansas’ 1,000-point club.

The junior’s free throws at the 15:58 mark of the first half gave him six points against Tennessee on Wednesday and 1,001 for his career. He is the 44th player in school history to reach that mark.

Making the achievement more unique, Jones did it in two seasons with the Razorbacks. He is just the eighth player score 1,000 points in two seasons at Arkansas, joining Martin Terry, Todd Day, Scotty Thurman, Dusty Hannahs, Bobby Portis, Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon.

According to HogStats.com, Jones is the fifth-fastest Arkansas player to reach that milestone, doing so in his 61st game. He is just ahead of Day, who needed 62 games, and just behind Thurman, who did it in 60.

The fact his name is mentioned alongside those players is surprising considering his story.

A lightly recruited player with only DII offers coming out of high school, Jones went to Connors State C.C. and transformed his body. After losing a lot of weight, he picked up a DI offer from UCA and was set to go there until Arkansas offered late in the process.

It proved to be a big pickup for former head coach Mike Anderson, as he averaged 13.6 points and shot 36.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Jones figured to be a key piece on Eric Musselman’s first team, but he’s far exceeded expectations. He leads the NCAA in free throws attempted and free throws made and came into Wednesday’s game as the only player in the SEC to lead his team in points per game, rebounds per game, assists and steals.

That production has put Jones in the conversation for SEC Player of the Year and made him one of 30 players on the midseason list for the 2020 Naismith Trophy for national player of the year.

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