In the first half of Duquesne’s 72-65 win over Robert Morris this past Saturday, senior forward/guard Jeremiah Jones went down clutching his right knee after going in for a layup. He left the game and was later diagnosed with a torn ACL, an injury that will sideline him for the remainder of the season.
Jones, the longest tenured player on this Dukes team, was averaging 9.6 PPG, good for third best on the team. He had played in every single game of his Duquesne career dating back to 2012.
Obviously, this is a very unfortunate loss for the Dukes, who at 10-2 are off to their best start in nearly forty years. Many expected them to be competitive in conference play as they sought to take home their first A10 title since 1981.
Possibly the greatest impact Jones’ injury will have on this team will be via leadership. The vocal senior is known for his compliance and ability to guide his younger teammates on the court, and his absence will be a void left in the fabric of this team. However as he recovers from his surgery, he should be able to help coach from the sideline.
As far as personnel goes, the next men up on the depth chart will likely be a pair of freshmen: Josh Steel and Nakye Sanders. Jones played an interesting position; he started at forward yet was only 6-3. Head coach Jim Ferry will have to choose if he wants to use a guard like Steel or a forward like Sanders to fill the role. It is also likely that guard Eric James or forward TySean Powell will step into a starting role. Coach Ferry will need to test his lineups to find the best fit for his team. It is clear that Jeremiah Jones is going to be missed.