Middleton's Kelan Jones brings strong post presence in district play

Michael Odom
Jackson Sun
Middleton's Kelan Jones (15) goes up for a layup as Humboldt's Justin Pankey (35) tries to block the ball from behind on Feb. 10.

HUMBOLDT — Coming into the 2017-18 season, the biggest hole the Middleton boys basketball team had to fill was in the post.

Montrez Jones averaged around a double-double for the Tigers for the past two seasons, but he had graduated.

So when senior Kelan Jones transferred in from Bolivar, the 6-foot-4 post was just what Middleton needed.

"I knew Montrez because he used to come over to my house and we would play against each other," Jones said. "I knew I had big shoes to try and fill to keep this team going."

On Saturday, Jones showed his true potential as he scored a game-high 22 points to lead Middleton to a 58-53 road win over Humboldt to earn the No. 1 seed in the District 14-A tournament.

"Kelan is a senior leader that is experienced on the court," Middleton coach James Burkley said. "He is a rebounder, so Jones filled a hole really well for us. I just think sometimes he tries not to step on other people's toes after coming in. He has handled the situation really well for us."

Middleton (21-4) receives a bye into the district semifinals and will get to wait until Saturday to play.

Everyone knew that senior Tylandrius Parks was going to be the go-to player for the Tigers this season. So the addition of Jones helped alleviate some of the pressure to score.

On Saturday, the two combined for 43 of the team's 58 points.

"Those two had big games, and the other guys might not have scored a lot, but they did a lot of the intangible things to help us win," Burkley said. "Jones played a better ball game tonight than he did at our place, and that really helped."

There was some times at the beginning of the season when Jones was still learning how to play Burkley's type of basketball, but it seems to have come together now.

"It was a slow process early on," Burkley said. "At Bolivar, they play a lot of zones, so he wasn't accustomed to man-to-man defense. It took him awhile to learn our man-to-man and how we deny the ball, how we put a lot of pressure on the ball and how we give weak-side help. He is coming along at the right time."

Middleton's Kelan Jones attempts a basket Jan. 23 during Peabody's 74-50 victory.

The chemistry, though, didn't take long.

"I knew most of them before I came," Jones said. "After we played a few games, it was like family."

When the two teams met on Tuesday in Middleton, Jones got in foul trouble and didn't have his best game. On Saturday, he showed he could respond and overcome bad games.

"I had to stay positive and make up for it," Jones said. "I had to keep my head up. My teammates helped me out to keep my head up."

Reach Michael Odom at michodom@jacksonsun.com or 731-425-9754 and on Twitter @JSWriterMichael.