Alabama Basketball's Herbert Jones Returning For Senior Season

With so much uncertainty surrounding his draft status and the league's draft process for this year, Jones will return for his fourth and final season with the Crimson Tide

T.G. Paschal/BamaCentral

University of Alabama basketball fans got some good news on Wednesday afternoon when wing Herbert Jones announced on his Instagram page that he would be returning to Tuscaloosa for his senior season and withdrawing his name from the NBA draft. 

BREAKING: Alabama F Herbert Jones (@_hoopinglife) rescinds name from NBA draft pool, will return to Alabama for his Senior year. #RollTide | #BlueCollarBasketball pic.twitter.com/yxbPKykKsr

— Crimson Crossover (@CrimsonXover) June 3, 2020

"Going through the NBA draft process has been an incredible learning experience," Jones said in a statement. "I want to take a moment and say thank you to the NBA teams that reached out, took time to get to know me and helped my family and I throughout this process. I also want to thank my coaches for being there for me every step of the way in this journey. Their insight and expertise have been a terrific resource for me and my family.

"When I came to the University of Alabama, I set numerous personal and team goals that I wanted to accomplish during my time - most importantly of which was to earn a college degree from the place I love so much. Some of these goals I have met and some I have not. Given the information I have received and considering the team goals I still want to accomplish, I am officially withdrawing my name from the 2020 NBA draft and returning to the University of Alabama for my senior season. 

"I can not wait to be back on the floor with my brothers. It is time to go to work and make this season a memorable one for everyone. Roll Tide!"

In the 2019-2020 season, Jones averaged 7.9 points , 6.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 steals a game. He battled injuries throughout his junior campaign, first to his elbow in the season opener against Penn, and then breaking his wrist in a road contest against LSU in late January. 

Jones would later give Crimson Tide fans a moment to remember when he made two one-handed free throws, after reeling in a career-high 17 rebounds, in the team's 88-82 win inside Coleman Coliseum against those same Bayou Bengals on Feb. 15. 

Alabama coach Nate Oats and company are still waiting to hear back from one more underclassman -junior wing John Petty Jr. With the NBA pushing the draft back until sometime in the fall, a decision could come from the Huntsville, Ala. native sometime this summer. 

Petty was the Crimson Tide's third leading scoring with 14.5 points per game and led the team and Southeastern Conference with a highly efficient three-point field goal percentage of 44 percent.