Jones-ing for a title

Before the game, you wonā€™t find Ocean View High senior Mason Jones listening to blaring hip-hop music like many of his peers.

Jonesā€™ style is more on the R&B; type. Heā€™s more Luther Vandross than Ludacris. Some other favorites are New Edition and Bobby Valentino.

Nothing but smooth vibes, which Jones himself gives off once heā€™s actually on the court and the game has started.

The 6-foot-4 guard is the only senior starter for the Seahawks, who play in the CIF Southern Section Division IV-AA championship game against Inglewood at 2:45 p.m. Saturday.

The venue of the game ā€” Mater Dei High ā€” will be just as familiar as singing along to song lyrics. It was where Jones played most of the first three years of his high school basketball career.

ā€œItā€™s not necessarily a bad feeling, and itā€™s not necessarily a good feeling,ā€ he said. ā€œA gym is a gym. Yeah, I have a history at Mater Dei, but I donā€™t want that to distract me. I just look at it as another gym.ā€

But every day, Jones and his mother would make the 55-mile drive from their home in Moreno Valley to Mater Dei. It was where Jonesā€™ older brother, Marcel, won CIF and state titles as a junior in 2003. Marcel Jones graduated in 2004 before a college career at Oregon State.

Marcel was the Monarchsā€™ go-to guy his senior year, averaging 20 points and seven boards.

ā€œWatching my older brother gave me more inspiration to play,ā€ Mason Jones said. ā€œEvery chance Iā€™d get, Iā€™d go to my older brotherā€™s games.ā€

Mason Jones made it to varsity his junior year, but the minutes were sporadic. The Monarchs were on their way to a state title, but he left midway through that run to a school closer to home, Valley View. He didnā€™t play basketball there.

Then, the family moved to Huntington Beach. Mason Jones had friends there, like Ocean View basketball juniors Anthony Brown, Avery Johnson and Ryan Okwudibonye. The four players knew each other from playing travel ball with Southern California All-Stars.

It immediately turned out to be a great fit. Jones said he thinks the Seahawks are still the team of Brown and Johnson, both of whom have been heavily recruited. But heā€™ll do whatever he can for the team.

ā€œI do feel like Iā€™m a leader because Iā€™m older, Iā€™m a senior,ā€ Jones said. I feel like Iā€™m a leader in a lot of different ways, but I also understand that I have to take the back seat sometimes because this is their team. Whatever I can get out of it, Iā€™m gaining. And we feed off each other a lot.ā€

Ocean View Coach Jimmy Harris sees it too.

ā€œHeā€™s come so far in such a small amount of time,ā€ Harris said. ā€œI think thatā€™s a testament to how coachable he is, and how smart he is. It was more breaking the habits of other schools. We structure our defense so itā€™s much more of a team concept, and he was able to pick it up.ā€

Jones averaged 11.5 points per game during the regular season, third on the team to Johnson (13.0) and Brown (11.8).

But in the playoffs, he led the team with 22 points in a second-round win over Ontario Christian, then 23 points in a quarterfinal win over San Luis Obispo.

ā€œIt really helps to have a senior with his type of talent,ā€ Harris said. ā€œWeā€™re so young, so itā€™s nice to have that senior leadership out there.ā€

Yet the colleges havenā€™t come rushing out for Mason Jones. Harris said he felt like his senior has been under-recruited, although Jones said he definitely wants to keep playing in college.

ā€œMy brother Marcel has made it clear to me that nothing is given,ā€ Jones said. ā€œYou have to earn everything. I completely understand that. And without Ocean View, I wouldnā€™t really be where Iā€™m at. Iā€™m a senior, and most people get recruited their junior year. So whatever I get, Iā€™ll know that I earned it.ā€

Jones totally understands not everything comes easy. In fact, he said, thatā€™s why he wears the number zero.

ā€œA lot of people didnā€™t really count me as being ā€˜that guy,ā€™ ā€ Jones said. ā€œEven with SCA, I was never really counted as a go-to player, or even a player. I had to earn everything. Number zero, I wear it because everyone thinks Iā€™m a zero.ā€

Not his Ocean View teammates. Not after what heā€™s brought to the table this year, helping the Seahawks to within one win of what would be their first CIF title since 1998.