NBA Draft Scouting Report: Xavier's Colby Jones

Scouting Report: Colby Jones

Contents

1. Prospect Profile 
2. Highlights 
3. Draft Projection 
4. 2023 Big Board 

Colby Jones

Guard | Xavier 

Height: 6'6” | Weight: 205 lbs 

2023 Draft Age: 21.07

Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Prospect Profile 

Jones has been on draft radars dating back to his late high school days as a four-star recruit into his freshman college season in 2020, but has really emerged as a legitimate NBA prospect early in this season.

He’s got great positional size at 6-foot-6, with the ability to play either guard position or slide over to the wing. While Jones can run point, it’s more likely he plays off ball at the next level. He can certainly pass well, but not necessarily set others up at a high level.

Although he will be 21 on draft night, the versatility the Xavier junior brings will be intriguing to teams.

Jones scores well off the bounce, with effective scoring tactics in the midrange and at the rim. He lacks an elite first step and isn’t a crazy athlete, but uses his size and length to his advantage. Furthermore on the offensive end, he moves well without the ball which puts him in the right position to score efficiently.

Overall, he’s a very fundamentally sound player on that end, doing the little things right rather than trying to be too flashy.

Where Jones really struggles is from beyond the arc. Interestingly enough, the mechanics of his jumper aren’t bad. His shot is somewhat slow due to him bringing the ball down on the catch, but he’s got a tight and smooth stroke that passes the eye test. Regardless, this will be the absolute swing skill for him and could dramatically impact where he’s taken on draft night, whether positive or negative.

Jones was a decent free throw shooter as a freshman, but has shot below 70% from the stripe in two consecutive seasons. Given free throw shooting can often be indicative of future shooting success from the perimeter that's an interesting data point. 

On the flip side, he is an improving playmaker, starting to get better at creating for himself as his role increases through the years. His assist numbers have steadily gone up in every one of his college seasons at Xavier.

One of the most promising things for the third year college player is his rebounding numbers. Not only can he play either guard position, but he also rebounds like a big. As a sophomore, Jones pulled down an outstanding 7.3 boards per game. In the modern NBA, this will allow him to play in undersized lineups as a potential stretch four.

On the defensive end, Jones absolutely has upside, but needs to limit the mistakes. There’s been moments in which he plays undisciplined defense at times, but can guard four positions well nonetheless.

When thinking about the overall game of Jones, he’s truly a hybrid guard that can play forward. He’s smart, versatile and fundamentally sound. These are the types of players that don’t have the most jaw-dropping highlights, but impact winning and get noticed by scouts.

Entering this season, Jones was deservedly on the preseason All-BIG EAST First Team. This came after being named the NIT Most Outstanding Player last season, averaging a team-high 14.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per contest as the Musketeers won the tournament. In the biggest moment of his season, Jones even scored 21 points in the championship game.

While he could still be selected in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft, the swing skill will be the 3-point shot. The pre-draft process and the way he shoots in front of teams could be a big deal relative to where Jones gets taken. 

Highlights 

Draft Projection 

Late First or Early Second-Round Pick in 2023 NBA Draft.

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2023 Big Board 

Want to know more about other potential 2023 NBA Draft prospects and where they might get selected? Check out our Draft Digest Pro Big Board.

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