EOU TO CBA: Former Mountaineer Tyree Jones is now part of the CBA's Idaho Stampede franchise. ().

Tony Adame

Staff Writer

By the time Tyree Jones finished his basketball career at Eastern Oregon University, he’d heard it all a thousand times.

He was too small.

His school was too small.

Jones, to his credit, never listened.

"It was never in me to not think I could do something," Jones said. "As long as I have it in my mind that I belong somewhere, then that’s it."

That somewhere for Jones these days is on the roster of the Continental Basketball Association’s (Boise) Idaho Stampede.

Jones, who averaged 15.9 points and 7.75 assists per game for EOU last season, was named to the Stampede’s nine-man roster last month with former Utah All-American and current Indiana Pacer Britton Johnsen, University of Southern California standout Sam Clancy and 1995 Final Four most valuable player Donald Williams, among others.

"It’s been a good experience," Jones said. "I do a lot of listening and watching, but every time I step on the court I get in my head that I’m trying to be the best. That’s just my attitude."

Jones is the only player on the Stampede roster who did not play basketball for a Division I-A basketball team.

At 5-feet-11 inches, Jones is also the shortest.

"Tyree brings a little uniqueness to our team," Stampede head coach Joe Wolf said. "He’s a great scorer in a smaller body. Tyree’s shooting ability allows us to space the ball out, and anytime you can create that spacing for your post players that’s a plus.

"He’s got a lot of things to learn because it’s his first year professionally, but he’s got a great feel for the game."

According to Art Furman, who coached Jones in his two seasons at EOU, Jones’ success has been a combination of both the mental and physical aspects of the game of basketball.

"When we were recruiting him it was obvious he was very sure of himself," Furman said. "Tyree never lacked for confidence. God blessed him with quickness, so believing in himself has always been one of his strong points.

"The special thing about Tyree was you could sit and talk to him and his mind would just open up to what you were saying."

Furman recalls a game last year the Mountaineers played at Boise State when he got the first inkling that Jones may have a shot of playing on the next level.

After the game, which the Mountaineers lost 113-67, Furman asked former NBA coach George Karl, whose son was playing for Boise State, if he thought Jones had a shot at playing on the next level.

"I was just picking George’s brain, about basketball, and I asked him what he thought about TJ’s chances of making it to the next level," Furman said. "When he told me that he might be able to do it I knew then he had a shot."

This summer Jones was on the Denver Nuggets summer league roster, but didn’t make the final cut after playing with the team in tournaments in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.

"I think coach Furman did an excellent job of preparing me for both success and failure," Jones said. "I can’t tell you what my future holds, but hopefully I can make it to the NBA."

Furman won’t try to predict what the future holds for Jones professionally, either.

"You can’t tell a guy like him that it’s not gonna happen," Furman said. "You have to be a fanatic to accomplish some things in life, and that’s Tyree when it comes to basketball."