Chambers Mum on Myreon Jones' Expected Return
The return of sophomore guard Myreon Jones, Penn State's second-leading scorer this season, remains an unknown.
Meeting with the media Thursday afternoon via teleconference, Nittany Lions' head coach Patrick Chambers indicated uncertainty as to Jones' status leading into Penn State's Saturday afternoon home tip against Northwestern.
"We're evaluating it," Chambers said. "We're hoping he gets better here soon, it's more of a wait and see."
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Jones has been absent from Penn State's lineup for the past two games against Purdue and Minnesota, and hasn't played since his 20-point performance in the Nittany Lions' 75-70 win at Michigan State on Feb. 4.
Against Big Ten competition this season, Jones has been among the league's most dynamic scorers, averaging 13.2 points per game to tie for 14th in the conference. Through the entirety of his sophomore season, he's second in scoring for the Nittany Lions with 14.1 points per game, trailing only senior forward Lamar Stevens.
In Jones' absence, though, the Nittany Lions have been able to keep their winning streak alive, extending it to seven games with their most recent win, 88-76, at Mackey Arena on Tuesday night.
With that in mind, including clutch performances from the likes of Seth Lundy, Myles Dread, and Stevens all through Jones' absence, Chambers said that rushing Jones back from his unspecified illness would be a mistake.
"I can't rush him back. That would be the worst thing for me to do right now because I expect to play for quite some time here," Chambers said. "So we want him to be healthy, and when we feel like he's at that point where he's ready to get back on the court, we will definitely throw him in a uniform.
"But right now, we'll evaluate him today, we'll get up tomorrow and we'll evaluate him again tomorrow, and when he's ready he's ready and we'll make that decision with the docs and with our trainer Jon Salazer."
Penn State (19-5 overall, 9-4 Big Ten) hosts Northwestern (6-17, 1-12) Saturday afternoon at the BJC. The game will tip at noon and air on the Big Ten Network.
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