CHICAGO, Ill. — Kam Jones says it wasn't until his sophomore year at Marquette University that he felt playing in the NBA was a legitimate possibility. However, it was this past season that molded him the most, transitioning from a secondary creator to the team's main playmaker and scorer.
At this week's NBA Combine, Jones is emphasizing to teams that playing point guard at a high level is nothing foreign to him.
"That was a question mark, especially going into my senior year," Jones explained. "Is he a point guard? Is he a scorer? You know, scorers are a diamond a dozen. We kind of need point guards – somebody that can get others involved, too. So for me to show that I can do that at a high level, I think that really suits me and benefits me."
#MUBB Kam Jones has had interviews with OKC and the Miami Heat so far at the NBA Combine with a handful more scheduled to round out the week.
— Ashley Washburn (@ashleyjwashburn) May 15, 2025
He said his former teammates (Omar, Oso, Kolek) have all been helpful throughout this pre-draft process. pic.twitter.com/pNvUz2lhPR
Jones finished seventh in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio and continues to lean on his former teammates throughout the pre-draft process.
WATCH: Marquette's Kam Jones, Wisconsin's John Tonje boost draft profiles at NBA Combine
"You know, [Olivier-Maxence Prosper], we were talking about the pre-draft process," Jones shared. "He was telling me how many workouts he did. He did a lot of workouts, man. Knowing Omax, that's not surprising. He was giving me tips on ways to stick out and to stand out and Oso [Ighodaro] just telling me how to handle it mentally. Tyler [Kolek] talked to me about how competitive it is and how competitive you have to be, and you got to just keep working and stay in the gym. It's been a lot of good information that I've learned from those three."
Meanwhile, in just one year with the Wisconsin Badgers, John Tonje went from unknown prospect to one of the best scorers in the Big Ten, averaging just under 20 points per game.
Final best shooters at NBA Combine drills (aggregate of all shots). Mark Sears was scorching.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 13, 2025
83%Mark Sears
77% Chaz Lanier
73% Ryan Nembhard
73% PJ Haggerty
72% John Tonje
72% Milos Uzan
72% Cedric Coward
71% Walter Clayton
69%Koby Brea
69%Eric Dixon
69% Yaxel Lendeborg pic.twitter.com/eOABIgtO7E
Tonje finished near the top of Tuesday's leaderboard in shooting at the NBA Combine, saying all he needed was a chance.
"That's one thing I know that's true is, when I'm given an opportunity, I'm going to do everything I can just to make the most of it," Tonje stated. "I improve. I get better. I love the game. I love to get better. That's why I keep playing, so if there's one thing on my track record you can point to is that I'm going to get better. I'm going to do everything I can to compete wherever I'm given an opportunity."
#BadgersMBB John Tonje had one of the top shooting performances during yesterday’s drills at the NBA Combine.
— Ashley Washburn (@ashleyjwashburn) May 14, 2025
He hasn’t had any team interviews yet, but shared he has meetings set with the Spurs and Cavaliers at the end of the week. pic.twitter.com/YyxdL7sAba
Tonje has not interviewed with any team up to this point, but shared he has meetings set with both the Spurs and Cavaliers.
As for Jones, he has interviewed with both OKC and Miami, saying both went well, and that he has quite a few more interviews to round out the week.
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