After two-time state champion high school basketball career, Morton grad giving back to younger generation
MORTON, Ill. (BVM) — Courtney Jones has had a terrific four-year run as part of the Morton High School girls basketball team. Winning two IHSA Class 3A state championships in her freshman and junior years, Jones and her squad would fall excruciatingly short in their quest to win the program’s fifth state title in six years this past winter.
However, Jones will have a chance at redemption when she suits up for Illinois Central College next season. But first, the 19-year-old is finding a way to give back while also giving local girls a classic summer basketball experience they are missing out on this year.
Jones began playing basketball for a local travel team, the Morton Heat, in third grade. She also played softball, soccer, and swimming in her youth and would participate in volleyball throughout her high school tenure at Morton as well.
But the 19-year-old was always attracted to basketball, in large part because she wanted to emulate her older sister, who played the sport. In addition, she was drawn to the team aspect that the sport requires.
The Morton grad would become a winner on the hardwood early on in her basketball career. In addition to playing for the Morton Heat, Jones played for Heart of Illinois, a summer AAU team. In fifth grade, she helped lead that team to the AAU Girls State Championship, and the team would go to the AAU Nationals where they would place third.
Years later, Jones would win AAU Nationals with a team from Indianapolis. Her winning ways were a perfect fit for the Morton girls basketball program, who was coming off back-to-back state titles entering Jones’ freshman year.
In her first year, Jones felt pressure joining the Lady Potters, but also was excited to get started with a winning program while playing alongside her older sister.
“It was a little nerve wracking and I was almost scared of some of the older seniors,” Jones said. “But my sister was on the team and having her there really helped me out.”
Jones received a lot of time on the court as a freshman, often playing in the post. She would help Morton to their third consecutive state title, and personally taste championship success yet again.
In her sophomore year however, Jones and the Lady Potters would fall short of reaching state for the first and last time in her career. It was a heartbreaking season in part because Jones’ sister was a senior who had a chance at a fourth state championship. But it also motivated the basketball star and her team to redeem themselves the next season.
“It was my sister’s senior year so it was kind of hard,” Jones said about her team’s finish sophomore year. “But I think that really motivated me. My sophomore year was the only year I didn’t make it to state at all during my junior high and high school careers and it was saddening to see the season end earlier than what we were used to.”
But by her junior year, Jones and her Morton squad would come back with a vengeance. As an upperclassmen, Jones was ready to take on a leadership role, starting at both shooting guard and small forward during various points of the season. It was a dominant team whose senior leadership helped them roll through the season, as the Lady Potters would achieve a 33-3 record en route to the program’s fourth state title in five years.
Despite graduating several senior stars, Morton had a chance to make it five out of six this past season, and up until the final moments, it looked like it was going to happen. Despite facing multiple injuries, the Lady Potters would dominate their regular season schedule, and enter the state championship game at a perfect 37-0 — part of a 47-game win streak.
“Being a part of this team has meant so much to me and we had seven or eight senior girls playing basketball with each other since they were really young,” Jones said. “We were undefeated in conference all four years and that was our first goal before getting to state.”
In her senior year, Jones would again switch positions, moving to point guard. She had never played the position before for the Lady Potters, but the transition was seamless. An ultimate team player, the Morton grad fit perfectly as a floor general, even setting the single-season record for assists in the Mid-Illini Conference with 200.
However, the career for Jones and the rest of the seniors on the team would come to a heartbreaking end in the state championship game against Simeon. After jumping out to a 16-0 lead, and 12-point halftime advantage, the Lady Potters looked well on their way to yet another title. But Simeon rallied back, and with five seconds left took a 45-44 lead that they would hold on to, leaving Morton heartbroken.
“It was extremely hard,” Jones said. “We worked really hard and were just one basket away. We went through a lot and seeing us fall short of an undefeated season was heartbreaking. But it’s just one of those things you learn from.”
After having a few months to look back on her high school career, Jones is proud of what she and her team were able to accomplish and hopes her class has motivated the girls below them.
“Losing for us was not very common,” the 19-year-old said. “I think the younger girls have looked up to us and I hope we motivated the girls to want to have a team like us. Not many teams can say they had a record like ours.”
Morton girls basketball looks to remain in good hands, as rising junior and touted prospect within the state, Katie Krupa, remains a fixture on the team. Krupa recently committed to play college basketball at Harvard, and Jones knows both her former teammate and team have bright futures.
“Katie Krupa is an incredible player in the paint and I knew that if she was posting up I needed to get the ball to her,” Jones said. “She is going to have an amazing career and I’m looking forward to seeing how she will improve as she takes more of the reins on the team.”
Jones will also look ahead to her own future which begins this fall at Illinois Central College (ICC). The point guard will play basketball over her next two years with the Cougars and believes her new team has a lot of potential as she heads into the program.
I’m very excited to announce that I will be continuing my academic and athletic career at ICC next year. I would like to thank Coach Redeker for this opportunity along with my family, coaches, teammates and everyone else who has supported me throughout the years. Go Cougars!🏀 pic.twitter.com/Aot3CO9vGw
— Courtney Jones (@cjoness3) October 20, 2019
Although she had a lot of college interest from schools at different levels, ICC ultimately felt like the right fit while allowing Jones to stay close to home. While at ICC, Jones will consider studying business but continues to keep her options open regarding a future career.
However, one career path Jones may be interested in taking down the road is coaching. As a kid, the basketball star grew up going to summer camps hosted by her high school, and always enjoyed the special summer weeks that she got to go play and be coached by varsity basketball players.
With the coronavirus pandemic bringing a halt to those camps this year, Jones’ father suggested the 19-year-old run a small summer camp for girls missing out on the opportunity this summer. Ultimately, Jones decided she wanted to give kids the experience she had growing up, and began running a basketball camp in her driveway.
After advertising through a Facebook post, Jones immediately received almost more interest than she could handle for the camp. Jones typically teaches four girls at a time for hour long sessions. She does drills that focus on all fundamentals of the game, including ball handling, passing, and layups.
The girls Jones teaches have grown to love the camp and both they and their parents are thankful for her efforts and giving them a chance to keep active over this unique summer. At the same time, the Morton grad is loving what she is doing and enjoys being on the other side of the camps now that she is older.
“I love seeing the smiles on their faces when they go home,” Jones said. “The first time I worked with one girl she made four baskets, but last week she made 22. So just seeing the joy on their faces when they figure something out is really magical to see.”
Jones has always enjoyed working with kids and has thought about a coaching career in the past. But after this summer camp, she believes coaching is now a strong possibility in her future.
“Coaching has always been a thought in my mind but I really didn’t know that much about it until starting this camp,” the 19-year-old said. “I’ve really enjoyed working with kids and I have learned so much from all the coaches I’ve had and what they taught me. I have definitely considered coaching and now I’ve realized I might actually be good at this and have a chance to be a good coach.”
The Morton grad plans to continue to host the camps throughout the rest of the summer and believes she may even be able to keep teaching girls in the fall if there is continued interest. A do-it-all team player who knows what it takes to win, Jones still has a bright future ahead with her playing career, but it also seems she has found a perfect calling for the future.
