Former Eagle Antwan Jones inducted into SHS Hall of Fame
TCC Sports Information Office
In October, the Bulldog community of Live Oak’s Suwannee High School honored five new inductees into the school’s hall of fame. Among the Class of 2020 inductees was former Tallahassee Community College men’s basketball standout Antwan Jones.
Growing up in Live Oak, just over 80 miles east of Tallahassee, Jones flew under the radar of most college basketball programs. The lack of notoriety opened the door for then-head coach Mike Gillespie, who needed only one visit to realize Jones was a diamond in the rough.
Jones rewarded Gillespie’s interest with two outstanding seasons for the Eagles from 1998-2000. He wasted little time establishing himself as one of the nation’s top players, scoring a career-high 37 points in his collegiate debut against Florida State College at Jacksonville on November 4, 1998. As a freshman, he led the Panhandle Conference in scoring on his way to first-team All-PC honors.
During his sophomore season, he averaged a team-best 18.6 points per game on his way to being named Panhandle Conference Player of the Year. He also garnered first-team All-PC and first-team All-FCSAA honors. He capped off his Tallahassee career by being named Second-team All-America by the NJCAA.
In two years at Tallahassee, Jones led the Eagles to a record of 46-13 and a total of 16 weeks at No. 1 in the FCSAA Poll. His remarkable numbers also included double-figure scoring in 54 games — 25 in a row during the 1999-00 season. He joined Tallahassee’s 1,000 Point Club on January 22, 2000, against Gulf Coast State College and still ranks sixth on the school’s all-time scoring list.
Following his Tallahassee career, Jones initially attended the University of Cincinnati before finishing his collegiate career at NAIA powerhouse Georgetown (Kentucky), where he was again named Second-team All-America in 2002.
Jones enjoyed a professional career that included stints in England and Sweden, as well as the NBA’s D-League with the Fayetteville Patriots.
Jones currently resides in his hometown of Live Oak, where he mentors youth and remains involved in basketball through his elite one-on-one training program. In 2019, he became the first inductee into the Suwannee County Police Athletic League Hall of Fame.
