Kam Jones had 17 factors, 13 rebounds and 10 assists as No. 15 Marquette defeated No. 6 Purdue 76-58 on Tuesday evening to finish the Boilermakers’ 39-game regular-season nonconference profitable streak.
Purdue (4-1) hadn’t misplaced a regular-season nonconference recreation since falling 58-54 at Miami on Dec. 8, 2020, compiling the fourth-longest such streak in NCAA historical past. The file is held by Syracuse, which received 52 straight nonconference regular-season video games from Dec. 17, 2008 to Dec. 17, 2012.
Earlier than Tuesday, which marked his 108th profession recreation, Jones had by no means had 10 rebounds or 10 assists in a recreation.
It was his first recreation since studying concerning the loss of life of Terry Tippett, who coached Jones his freshman 12 months at Evangelical Christian in Memphis, Tennessee.
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Tippett died Saturday at age 79. He received six Tennessee state championships at three totally different excessive colleges throughout a exceptional teaching profession that led to 2018, after Jones’ freshman season at Evangelical Christian.
“I wished to essentially dedicate this recreation to him and dedicate the remainder of the season to him,” Jones stated.
Jones’ triple-double was the third at school historical past and first since Dwyane Wade had 29 factors, 11 rebounds and 11 assists when Marquette beat Kentucky 83-69 in a 2003 regional ultimate to earn its most up-to-date Remaining 4 look.
“It is an honor to be in that sort of firm,” Jones stated.
Marquette’s solely different triple-double got here when Tony Miller had 18 factors, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in opposition to Wisconsin on Dec. 31, 1994.
Jones’ 13 rebounds and 10 assists each constituted profession highs, exhibiting how the 6-foot-5 senior is increasing his recreation.
He led Marquette (5-0) in scoring every of the previous two seasons, averaging 15.1 factors for the 2022-23 Large East championship staff and 17.2 factors for the 2023-24 Candy 16 squad. However he was taking part in a complementary position to 2022-23 Large East Participant of the Yr Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro, who each had been chosen within the second spherical of this 12 months’s NBA draft.
With Kolek gone, Jones wanted to turn into extra of a distributor. He’s scoring 22.6 factors per recreation this season but additionally averaging six assists. He by no means has completed a season with greater than 2.4 assists per recreation.
“He is all the time had higher capability as a playmaker than individuals may assume, however his position was a bit totally different once we had Tyler and Oso as a result of these guys had been such good passers and distributors and we would have liked him to assume, rating, rating, rating,” Marquette coach Shaka Good stated. “We nonetheless want him to attain, however he additionally has the ball in his fingers extra and we want him to create alternatives for different guys.”
Purdue coach Matt Painter, whose staff was going through Marquette for a 3rd straight season, observed the distinction in Jones’ recreation.
“He got here right here as a shooter,” Painter stated. “Now he is a participant.”
Jones was intent on getting others concerned early within the recreation. He had solely three factors however six assists and 7 rebounds within the first half. Ten of his 17 factors got here within the final 13 minutes of the sport as Marquette expanded its lead.
“They are saying what’s executed at the hours of darkness will come to gentle. I used to be within the health club with Coach watching movie — watching movie earlier than video games, watching movie late nights, early mornings, making an attempt to continuously determine methods to get higher. That is the secret.”
Marquette guard Kam Jones
He lastly bought the tenth help to finish the triple-double by discovering Stevie Mitchell for a nook 3-pointer with 51 seconds left.
“He was like a seasoned veteran tonight,” Painter stated. “He did not kill us till he needed to, you realize what I imply? He did not come out and shoot pull-up 30-footers or take dangerous photographs. We did a very good job, gave him a whole lot of consideration and the sport simply type of went its approach, after which hastily he picked his spots on the proper time and he dominated the sport in different areas.”
Jones’ capability to affect the sport in some ways apart from scoring replicate the work he put in to grow to be a extra full participant.
“They are saying what’s executed at the hours of darkness will come to gentle,” Jones stated. “I used to be within the health club with Coach watching movie — watching movie earlier than video games, watching movie late nights, early mornings, making an attempt to continuously determine methods to get higher. That is the secret.”
The Related Press and ESPN Analysis contributed to this report.
