Making a move from high school ball to college is quit a leap. It takes a full season or oftentimes several years for an athlete to make the transition. Not for Averie Jones…
The Lumpkin County 2024 product didn’t land far from home, signing with the University of North Georgia. While she played at such a high level in high school, leading the Lady Indians to back-to-back state title games and winning one, she had to identify the differences in the levels of play this year.
“The biggest difference in playing high school and college basketball is definitely the pace and the competition,” says Jones. “Everyone is good, everyone can play, and you’re going to face great competition every night. I really loved getting to step into that challenge this year and push myself.”
The list is endless of former high school stars who have to take a seat and get the hang of it before becoming impact players. Again, Jones is not part of that group.
“I really wanted to come in and make an impact and be a part of something great. I knew that I would have to work extremely hard and I wanted to push myself to get there. But, really, I think it was Coach Burson believing in me and trusting me to deliver in those situations. But, wherever you’re at, you have to fight for your chance each and every day, and that is something that I want to continue to build on.”
Jones played in all 34 games for the Lady Nighthawks and made 26 starts. She was third on the team with 975 minutes played. She rewarded the team’s confidence in her by scoring 11.3 points per game, adding 4.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.2 steals. She drained 53 3-pointers, shooting 40% from the floor, 32% from deep, and 74% at the charity stripe.
Jones was all season consistent, but also showed how quickly the game can humble you. She had a 28-point performance with seven triples against Lander, and just 10 days later scored all of two points while going 1-for-13 from the field and 0-for-6 from beyond the arc.
“A personal goal of mine has always been consistency and it is definitely something I can work on going into next season, but throughout the highs and lows you just have to remember how much you love it and who you’re playing for and really lean on that to keep you going. And for me, that has always been God, my team, and my coaches.”
The Lady Nighthawks went 31-3 this season and won the Peach Belt Conference Championship. Nationally-ranked UNG earned a spot in the NCAA Division-II National Tournament, winning two games to advance to the Sweet 16 before falling to Coker.
“It was so great getting to play with such great players and coaches this season and it meant so much to me,” says Jones of the magical run. “The ability to play for North Georgia is amazing, and it meant so much to all of us to go as far as we did in the tournament.”
Jones is a BLITZ Hall of Famer and finished her prep career with 1,877 points, 350+ rebounds, 350+ assists, and 250+ steals. She was a 43% shooter from long range in high school and 80% from the free throw line. The 3-time All-State and 4-time All-Region selection is the all-time leading scorer at Lumpkin County.
