Semoball Awards: NMCC’s Jadis Jones named Athlete of Year for boys basketball

Jadis Jones throws down a slam dunk during New Madrid County Central’s 59-56 win over Lift for Life Academy Charter in a MSHSAA Class 4 quarterfinal on Saturday, March 11, at Jefferson College Fieldhouse in Hillsboro, Mo. (Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat)

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — New Madrid County Central rising junior Jadis Jones was named the Crader Distributing and your local STIHL dealers Boys Basketball Athlete of the Year at the 2022 Semoball Awards on Friday, July 8, at LaCroix Church in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Jones was not able to attend the event due to a scheduling conflict but added the award to his impressive, continually growing list of accomplishments.

“It was an unreal feeling,” Jones said. “ I was in my hotel room after an EYBL game in Kansas and my phone had a lot of notifications. I checked it and that was one of the first things I saw. Adding that to the list of all the awards I got, just in one season, shows me what I’m capable of achieving and I haven’t reached my full potential yet.”

New Madrid County Central's Jadis Jones goes up for a shot against Sikeston Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, at the Sikeston Field House. (David Jenkins/Standard Democrat)

Jones averaged 17.2 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game this season while adding 2.5 steals and nearly a block per game on defense. The 6-foot-4 guard shot 60 percent from the field while also winning the SEMO Conference scoring award with a 21.7 points per contest average.

Mercy is the presenting sponsor of the Semoball Awards, the area’s premier awards show recognizing student-athletes and coaches in Southeast Missouri.

Jones said he’s excited to showcase his versatility this upcoming season and show fans and the opposition how his game has improved since last season when he helped lead the Eagles to a third-place finish at the 2022 Class 4 Show-Me Showdown, a SEMO Conference Tournament Championship and a 21-8 overall mark.

“All the hard work, all the unseen hours and the 5 a.m. workouts are starting to pay off for him,” said NMCC assistant coach Dontre Jenkins. “He’s an all-state selection, led us to a third-place finish at state, and is one of the top players in Missouri. That just goes to say what kind of player this young man is growing into. The sky is definitely the limit for him. If you were to ask him he would give the credit to his teammates and coaching staff for being honored with this award, that’s just what kind of human he is. [Jones] winning this award is a bright spot for our community and school especially coming off of the season we had this year.”

NMCC begins its 2022-2023 campaign at the Riverbend Shootout on Nov. 26.

However, if fans would like to catch a sneak peek of Jones they can catch him playing for the Bradley Beal Elite, one of the premier AAU basketball programs in the midwest.