Local Star Candace Jones of Tech Signs with Bulldogs
April 13, 2005
Butler head women's basketball coach Beth Couture didn't have to venture far from Hinkle Fieldhouse to land another piece of her recruiting class. Candace Jones, a 5-7 senior guard at Indianapolis' Tech High School, signed her National Letter of Intent Wednesday and will arrive at Butler in August. Jones' prep career has already included All-City honors the past two seasons.
Jones averaged 22.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game for head coach Ron Fyffe and the Lady Titans, which finished the season with a record of 17-6. Following the campaign, Jones was named to The Indianapolis Star's 2005 Girls Basketball Super Team and was a first-team selection on the Star's All-City Team for the second consecutive season.
"We're very excited to add Candace to what we believe is a great recruiting class," said Couture. "Candace is a tremendous ball-handler and passer, but mixes those skills with the ability to shoot the three-pointer and get to the basket. Adding her versatility on the wing gives us another offensive weapon."
Other honors for Jones include being named a preseason Hoosier Basketball Magazine second-team "All-State" selection, a Jermaine O'Neal City All-Star, a two-time RTV Channel 6 "Player of the Week," and being named to the 2005 City Tournament "All-Tournament Team." Jones is also Tech's all-time scoring leader, amassing more than 1,500 points for her career.
Jones scored at least 20 points in 14 games this season and in double figures in all but one contest. She had 39 points, including an 8-of-11 performance from three-point range, in the team's win over Anderson in December. A long-range threat, Jones hit 40 percent of her three-point attempts and nailed 2.5 treys per game. She also hit 84 percent of her free throws during the 2004-05 campaign.
Butler's 2005-06 freshman class now grows to three as Jones joins Lade Akande and Candyce Brown, who both signed with the Bulldogs in November. Akande is a two-time Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class A Second Team selection from Robinson, Ill., while Brown is a McDonald's All-American nominee from Pickerington, Ohio.
The Bulldogs finished the 2004-05 campaign with a record of 14-14. The team returns 10 letterwinners, but Couture will not be afraid to call on her youngsters early. The Bulldogs have been represented on the Horizon League "All-Newcomer Team" in each of the past two seasons.
Butler is scheduled to open the 2005-06 season against Purdue at Hinkle Fieldhouse in November.
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