Eshaunte “Bear” Jones is tired of waiting.
Injuries have relegated Jones to a seat on the bench for most of his past two basketball seasons. Now that he’s finally healthy, the redshirt freshman guard is ready to make an impact on the Nebraska basketball team.
“I’m feeling great, and I just want to get back out there and have fun and get back to what I do,” he said.
Jones arrived in Lincoln last year with a lingering foot injury suffered while in prep school at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va.
He went down halfway through his lone season at the school and was forced to enjoy Hargrave’s perfect 29-0 season and National Prep Championship from the sidelines.
“That really hurt,” he said. “It was hard to just watch that and see them reach all those accomplishments without me.”
Jones sat out in the hopes his foot would heal, but the pain remained when he joined NU. Despite suffering from what turned out to be a broken foot, Jones opted to play through the pain at the start of NU’s season.
He made his presence felt in his first game as a Husker against Chadron State. Jones came off the bench to score 16 points in 16 minutes, hitting 6 of 9 shots, including two 3-pointers, in the exhibition game.
“All I could do was stop and shoot. I couldn’t really pivot or anything like that,” he said. “It’s hard when you really want to do something and you can’t do it.”
After four regular season games, though, Jones knew enough was enough.
“I’d never thought about getting surgery or doing that stuff, but it was still painful all the time,” he said. “When I found out it was a problem, I had to take care of it.”
Jones had surgery in December and took a redshirt for the year. Having to watch the Huskers fade down the stretch and miss out on the NCAA tournament once again, he said, was the hardest part.
“It was the worst feeling of my life,” he said. “I’ve never sat out like that before. It was a good team, but I think we just needed some more bigs. If we had them, we would’ve made the tournament.
“I don’t know if I would’ve been a great addition, because I’m not 6-foot-8 or 6-foot-9, but I could have helped.”
Coach Doc Sadler agreed but said he looks to see the 6-foot-4 wingman make a difference now that he’s healthy.
“He definitely could have helped us win some games,” Sadler said. “It’s always difficult. We need as many guys as we can get, but the fact of the matter is, with the injury he had, he couldn’t really help us. We did what was in the best interest of him and our team.”
Following the surgery, Jones spent about nine months in rehab and trying to get back in shape. A year in Sadler’s system also brought a renewed interest in practicing the right way.
“I used to not be a practice player,” Jones said. “I used to be lazy, and I never took it seriously. When you get here, that all changes with Doc. He gets your ready for the game, and that’s what I love about being here.”
Jones will compete for time with a number of guards, and senior Ryan Anderson said Jones’ ability from long range will be a valuable asset for the Huskers.
“It’s good to see Bear back from his injury,” Anderson said. “He had to sit out a little while, but it’s nice to see him fully back, and he’s looking strong. I’m exciting about having a shooter like that on the outside.”
Having to sit out so long has given Jones a new appreciation for the game. He’s sick of sitting on the bench, and he’s ready to prove himself this season.
“I’m going to try my hardest to play as hard as I can here,” he said. “The fans here are wonderful. All the people here are wonderful, and I’ve got no choice but to play as hard as I can.”
maxolson@dailynebraskan.com
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