MATT JONES OF TRINITY UNIVERSITY, a senior on the Tigers’ men's basketball team, has been selected the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Character and Community Male Athlete of the Week for the week beginning March 12, 2018.
The SCAC honors the efforts of student-athletes who excel in the field of athletics, and also serve their campus and community.
Jones, who hails from Austin, Texas, exemplifies the definition of student-athlete who cares deeply about his sport of basketball and the welfare of others.
In his hometown of Austin, Jones served as an assistant basketball coach of the Texas D1 Ambassadors 16-and-under team. He also volunteered as an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball coach in the summer of 2017. Jones participated in volunteer activities with San Antonio’s Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children, and with the i Play Soccer Tournament.
Jones’ list of volunteer activities in extensive, and includes Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Mid-Level Elementary Youth Organization, and Habitat for Humanity. Of course, Jones plans on volunteering for the NCAA Men’s Final Four to be held in San Antonio later this month.
Jones will earn a Bachelor of Science degree from Trinity in May. He is a finance major and minors in communication and sport management. A member of Trinity’s Dean’s List, he also is listed among the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) named Jones to the 2016-17 Honors Court. Jones has also qualified for the SCAC Academic Honor Roll.
The versatile Jones has gained professional experience by serving as a finance intern with Spurs Sports & Entertainment in San Antonio. On campus, Jones is portfolio manager of the the Trinity University Student Managed Fund. The portfolio is valued at over $6 million, and Jones works with 26 other co-managers on the project.
Turning to the basketball court, Jones is the Trinity men’s team’s all-time leader in career assists with 453 in his column. He also is tops in the Tiger program’s single-season assists mark, chalking up 138 in the 2016-17 campaign.
Jones has been elected to the All-SCAC Third Team on three occasions. The latest accolade came after Trinity’s 2017-18 season.