University of Alabama Athletics

Career Accolades

• AP Third Team All-American (2021)
• Finalist for Naismith Trophy Defensive Player of the Year (2021)
• USBWA District IV Player of the Year (2021)
• USBWA/AP First Team All-District (2021)
• SEC Player of Year (2021)
• SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2021)
• SEC All-Defensive Team (2020, 2021)
• SEC Academic Honor Roll (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
• SEC All-Tournament Team (2021)
• Became the fourth player in program history to earn a spot on the Academic All-District team (2019)
• School record holder in charges taken for both single-season (23 in 2018) and career (77) 
• One of 25 collegiate players from around the country who was invited to participate in the Nike Skills Academy in the Summer of 2018
• Finished career with 129 games played and 101 stats while combining for 947 points, 630 rebounds, 285 assists, 167 steals and 98 blocks 
• In his two seasons under head coach Nate Oats, he collected 33 “Hard Hat” awards and a total of 1,260 Blue Collar points 

Senior (2020-21)

• Named to SEC Academic Honor Roll
• Associated Press and Sporting News All-American (Third Team)
• Consensus SEC Player of the Year and SEC Defensive Player of the Year by the SEC Coaches, AP and USA Today
• Subsequently named to the All-SEC First Team (Coaches, AP and USA Today) and All-SEC All-Defensive Team
• Named as a finalist for the Naismith Award Men’s Defensive Player of the Year
• Earned USBWA and NABC First Team All-District honors and was selected as the USBWA District IV Player of the Year
• Was also tabbed a semifinalist for the Naismith Men’s Player of the Year
• One of only two players across the nation selected to both the Naismith Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year semifinal lists
• Earned a team-leading 17 Hard Hat Awards, which is given to the player with the most Blue Collar Points at the end of each game
• Led the team in Blue Collar Points (667), deflections (110), floor dives (23), and-1s (7-of-10) and dunks (19)
• Finished the year leading the team in rebounding (6.6 rpg), assists (3.3 apg), steals (1.7 spg) and blocks (1.1 bpg) while ranking fourth on the team in scoring average (11.2 ppg)
• Also topped the team in offensive rebounds (2.5 orpg) 
• Led UA with nine games of five or more assists this season, while leading the team in rebounding 17 times, assists 14 games, steals 14 times and blocks on 14 occasions which are all team-best number
• Reached double figures in 19 of 33 games 
• Had a career night vs. Georgia, accounting for a career-best 21 points to go along with five rebounds, four assists and three blocks (2/13)
• Matched that scoring output by going for 21 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and three steals in the SEC semifinal win over Tennessee (3/13)
• Accounted for 20 points, six rebounds and three steals in the NCAA Tournament first round win over Iona (3/20)
• Recorded a career-high 4 blocks along with 13 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and the game-winning layup in the SEC Championship win over LSU (3/14)
• Collected first double-double of the year and fourth of his career with 12 pts and 12 rebs in season opening win vs. Jacksonville State (11/25)
• Second double-double came against Furman (12/15) when he tied his career high of 18 points to go along with 12 boards
• Had a career-best 19 points and tied career high with five steals to go along with eight boards in the win at Auburn (1/9)
• Had a near triple-double vs. Kentucky (1/27) finishing with 13 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in season series sweep of the Wildcats
• Had 17 points and season highs of seven assists, four steals and three blocks in the win over Mississippi State (1/23)
• Scored 17 points including a career-best 11 free throws, going 11-of-12 from the charity stripe, vs. Clemson (12/12)
• Only player to have started all 33 contests

Junior (2019-20)

• Named to SEC Academic Honor Roll
• Tabbed to the SEC’s All-Defensive Team after leading Alabama in Hard Hat Awards (16), Blue Collar Points (593), deflections (84), charges taken (22) and floor dives (31) – all despite playing in 27 of the team’s 31 games and battling injuries throughout the year
• Had three double-doubles which was second-best on the team
• Ranked second on the squad in rebounding (6.4 rpg) and steals (1.3 spg) while ranked third in assists (2.3 apg) and blocks (19), while averaging 7.9 points per game  
• Led the team in scoring when he tied a career-high of 18 points while adding 7 boards and 4 assists against Kentucky (1/11)
• The left-handed Jones, injured his left elbow early in the season opener which forced him to miss one game, while a fractured his left wrist later in the year the caused him to sit out three games and forced him to play the rest of the season with his wrist in a cast
• Earned a career-high 17 rebounds and scored 6 points, including knocking down a pair of game-clinching free throws with his right hand, while playing with essentially only one hand against LSU (2/15)
• Had 17 points, shooting 7-from-12 from the field to go along with three rebounds while also earning the Hard Hat Award for his play against Rhode Island (11/15)
• Collected 15 points, six rebounds and five assists in season-high 38 minutes of action vs. Belmont (12/21)
• Earned his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 boards against Richmond (12/29)
• Finished with his second double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds against Auburn (1/15)
• Earned his third double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 rebounds against Missouri (1/18)
• Grabbed 15 points while registering nine rebounds and four assists at Florida (1/4)
• Led the team with a career-high seven assists while collecting nine points and seven boards against Samford (12/18)
• Finished with 15 points, six rebounds and five assists against Belmont (12/21)
• Led the team in assists (5) while scoring 10 points and grabbing five rebounds against Vanderbilt (1/22)
• Scored 10 points to go along with nine boards against South Carolina (2/29)
• Led the team tying a career-high three blocks while registering seven points, four boards and three assists against Ole Miss (2/22)
• Finished with 10 points against Kansas State (1/25)
• Stuffed the stat-sheet with eight points, six rebounds and four assists vs. Furman (11/19)
• Notched seven points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals vs. Southern Miss (11/29)

Sophomore (2018-19)

• Named to SEC Academic Honor Roll
• One of the team captains who played in 34 contests and made 29 starts
• Led Alabama in charges (17) and steals (32), ranked second in blocks (20) and third in assists (67)
• Finished with a career-best 18 points to go along with three rebounds and a pair of assists vs. Norfolk State (3/20)
• Led the team in rebounds (6) and charges (2) while adding 13 points against Wichita State (11/18)
• Had 13 points and three assists vs. Ball State (11/16)
• Provided a strong showing on both ends of the court leading the team in assists (5), steals (2) and blocks (1), while scoring 10 points and pulling down five boards – all on the offensive end – at LSU (1/8)
• Snatched a team-high three steals while scoring 11 points and adding three assists against Auburn (3/5)
• Scored a team-high 18 points, while adding three rebounds and two assists against Norfolk State (3/20)
• Swatted a team-high three shots, while registering eight points and two assists against then-No. 22 Mississippi State (1/29)
• Led the team in assists (5), blocks (2) and steals (1), while adding 11 points against then-No.13 LSU (3/2)
• Went a perfect 4-of-4 from the field and 2-of-2 from the line to go for 10 points and eight rebounds against then-No. 13 Kentucky (1/5)
• Turned in an outstanding effort on both sides of the court, totaling eight points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes of action vs. Southern (11/6)
• Registered a career- and team-high in free throws (6), assists (4), and steals (4), while also collecting 10 points and four rebounds against Appalachian State (11/11)
• Added seven points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal at Arkansas (3/9)
• Played a strong defensive role in the victory at South Carolina (2/26) while adding three points, four rebounds, three assists and a block off the bench 
• Held then-No. 20 Ole Miss (1/22) to lowest scoring game of the season while leading the team in assists (2) and steals (2) to go with eight points and eight rebounds

Freshman (2017-18)

• Named to SEC First Year Academic Honor Roll 
• Saw action in 35 games, making 13 starts 
• Received team’s Outstanding Defensive Player Award and one of seven to earn team’s Student Academic Achievement Award 
• Led the team and ranked seventh in the league in steals (44, 1.3 spg) 
• Set a single-season school record by taking 23 charges on the year
• Made his collegiate debut in the season opener against Memphis, earning the start and finishing with 12 points and five rebounds in 27 minutes (11/10) 
• Scored a career-high 14 points and led the team in assists (3) and steals (2) while adding five rebounds vs. then-No. 12 Oklahoma (1/27) 
• Collected six points and three rebounds in the home opener against Lipscomb (11/14)
• Grabbed a team-high eight rebounds to go along with seven points and three assists against Alabama A&M (11/17) 
• Turned in an outstanding effort on both ends of the court, totaling seven points, nine rebounds and four steals to go along with drawing four charges vs. UT Arlington (11/21)
• Put up six points and five rebounds to go along with two steals in 20 minutes off the bench vs. Louisiana Tech (11/29) 
• Led the team with season highs in steals (5) and assists (4) while scoring four points against UCF (12/3) 
• Topped the team in rebounds (9) while totaling four points, two assists and one block vs. then-No. 5 Texas A&M (12/30) 
• Had six points, three rebounds and two blocks vs. Vanderbilt (1/2)
• Had a game-high four steals while adding five points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks vs. South Carolina (1/9) 
• Scored five points to go along with six rebounds and two steals against LSU (1/13) 
• Led the team in steals (4) and assists (4) while totaling 11 points, seven rebounds and a block vs. then-No. 17 Auburn (1/17) 
• Totaled seven points to go along with two rebounds, three assists and one steal vs. Ole Miss (1/23) 
• Scored six points while adding one rebound and a block at then-No. 23 Florida (2/3) 
• Put up seven points to go along with two rebounds, two assists and a team-high three steals vs. then-No. 15 Tennessee (2/10) 
• Chipped in six points, three rebounds, three steals and a season-high tying two blocks in the SEC tournament win over Texas A&M (3/8) 
• Added six points, four rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal vs. Virginia Tech in the NCAA Tournament (3/15)

Prep Highlights

• Played under his father, Walter Sr., at Sunshine before the school closed in 2015 
• Played under Antwan Butler at Hale County, where his father served as an assistant coach 
• Ranked the No. 30 shooting guard in the nation according to 247Sports.com 
• No. 71 prospect in the country according to Rivals.com 
• Ranked the No. 2 prospect in the state of Alabama by Hoopseen.com 
• The top small forward in the state and No. 8 small forward in the southern region according to Scout.com 
• Three-time ASWA First Team All-State honoree 
• Earned 1A honorable mention all-atate honors in 2015 and 3A second team all-state honors in 2016 
• Selected as the 4A State Player of the Year and named to the Class 4A All-State first team as a senior (ASWA) 
• Led his team to the 2017 state championship and was the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament 
• Averaged 16.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game as a senior
• Selected to play in 2017 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game alongside teammates Alex Reese (Alabama) and Galin Smith (Mississippi) 
• Earned Alabama MVP honors, scoring 17 points and leading the team with eight rebounds while dishing out two assists in 24 minutes 
• Played for Sunshine High School as a freshman and sophomore before transferring to Hale County High School to finish his career 
• Led Sunshine to the AHSAA Class 1A state finals 
• Saw the court for Sunshine’s varsity team as early as seventh grade 
• Averaged 15.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.9 steals per game as a junior at Hale County 
• Excelled on the AAU circuit for the Alabama Challenge

Personal Information

• Born Oct. 6, 1998
• Son of Walter Sr. and Verlander Jones 
• Has a brother, Walter, Jr.
• Majoring in business management