On Wednesday, Stanford senior forward Spencer Jones announced on social media that he is coming back to The Farm for a fifth season citing a desire to help Stanford get back to the NCAA tournament. At the end of the Pac-12 tournament, Jones left the door open for a possible return even though he did go through Senior Day ceremonies. The big question was whether or not Jones could find a grad program to get accepted into and that part has clearly sorted itself out in a positive way, allowing him to come back for an extra year.
Stanford released the following upon Jones’ announcement:
Sharp-shooting forward Spencer Jones will return for a fifth season to Stanford, using his additional year of eligibility. He announced his decision on Wednesday afternoon via his social media platforms.
Jones is a two-time All-Pac-12 selection, including second team honors in 2022 as well as defensive accolades in 2021. The Roeland Park, Kansas native averaged a team-best 14.1 points in 2022-23, with six 20-point outings, along with 4.7 rebounds per game. He ended the season 24th in school history in scoring, second in made 3-pointers and 12th in blocks.
Poised to leave a lasting legacy at Stanford and in the Pac-12, Jones stands 44 3-pointers away from breaking the program record currently held by Chasson Randle and 85 away from setting a new Pac-12 mark, besting the total currently held by former Oregon guard Tajuan Porter.
Jones was the only Pac-12 player in conference play last season to average at least 15.0 points per game and at least two made threes per contest while shooting at least 40 percent from 3-point range.
With Jones returning, Stanford is getting their top scorer back and also their top go-to guy in crunch time. If Stanford is to make an NCAA tournament run in 2024, they’re going to need someone who can take over a game and get buckets in the clutch. Jones will be able to provide that next year.
On top of citing a desire to get Stanford to the NCAA tournament, Jones also mentioned his relationship with head coach Jerod Haase and the impact he has had on his basketball career. Jones returning because of his strong relationship with Haase certainly has feel good vibes that should get Stanford and their fans excited for the upcoming season. Haase has worked hard to get Stanford back to the dance but at times as had guys leave at inopportune times. Jones returning is certainly a welcomed change in that regard. It’ll be fun to see how this fifth year goes for Jones and the Cardinal. Maybe just maybe this is the break they need to get back to the dance.
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