Thursday, August 9, 2012

Verdel Jones III to play for Peristeri


He'll get ample playing time there.


BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Verdell Jones III, who played for the Hoosiers from 2008-12 and graduated in May with a degree in Sports Communication, has signed a contract to play professionally for Peristeri Basketball Club located just outside Athens, Greece. The team competes in the A1 League in Greece, the highest professional level in the country and one of the best leagues in Europe.

"It's a great feeling," said Jones. "First of all just to be back on the floor playing again means a lot to me. And then to be able to play professionally on the top level is even better."

The regular season begins in Mid-October and runs through Mid-April when the playoffs begin and run until the end of May. Jones says he will be flying over to Greece on Aug. 27 to continue his knee rehab with the team's trainer before official practice begins.

"We had a couple other teams in Switzerland and Holland and places like that that were interested but this team contacted my agent and were very interested," said Jones. "They are one of the top teams in Europe so we felt it was a great opportunity.

Jones averaged 11.5 points during his career, but saw his career end when he injured his knee against Penn State on March 8, 2012, at the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. Jones has been going through the rehabilitation process in his hometown of Champaign, Ill. He has been participating in half court scrimmages and has been cleared to play full-court in the weeks leading up to his departure for Greece.

Jones finished his four-year career with 1,347 points,ranking 23rd on the all-time scoring list at IU and ranks ninth all-time at IU with 389 assists


source : iuhoosiers.com

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