March 23, 2005
ORLANDO - Former UCF men's basketball standout Mark Jones became the first Golden Knight to sign with a National Basketball Association team, joining the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Jones, who signed a 10-day contract, will be in uniform for the Magic's game against Charlotte on Thursday evening.
As a senior during the 1997-98 campaign for the Golden Knights, he was named the Trans America Athletic Conference Player and Newcomer of the Year after averaging 20.8 points and 7.3 boards. Prior to UCF, he played one season at Minnesota after transferring from Anderson (S.C.) Junior College.
Under head coach Kirk Speraw, the 1997-98 squad posted a 17-11 overall mark and advanced to the conference championship semifinals.
He spent the 2004-05 season with the Great Lakes Storm of the Continental Basketball Association. The guard ranked fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 20.8 points per game. Jones added 5.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per outing and started 40 games for the Storm. He earned a spot on the Eastern Conference All-Star team and was an All-CBA Second Team selection following the regular season.
Before his stint in the CBA, Jones played professionally in Venezuela, France and the Philippines.