Portsmouth Invitational Tournament

[awhom111]

As expected, Amile and Matt were among the players who have exhausted their eligibility who were invited to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. They will get the usual combine athletic testing and measurements as well as the chance to play in three games during the tournament Wednesday through Saturday.

Rosters:
https://www.portsmouthinvitational.com/2017-team-rosters

Schedule:
https://www.portsmouthinvitational.com/schedule-results

[ChillinDuke]

As expected, Amile and Matt were among the players who have exhausted their eligibility who were invited to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. They will get the usual combine athletic testing and measurements as well as the chance to play in three games during the tournament Wednesday through Saturday.

Rosters:
https://www.portsmouthinvitational.com/2017-team-rosters

Schedule:
https://www.portsmouthinvitational.com/schedule-results

Where is Amile on these rosters? I see Matt on Sales Systems, Ltd.

- Chillin

[duketaylor]

Portsmouth Partnership

[ChillinDuke]

Am I missing something? I don't see him listed on that team (or any team). I've checked twice and CTRL+F his name.

- Chillin

[CameronBornAndBred]

Am I missing something? I don't see him listed on that team (or any team). I've checked twice and CTRL+F his name.

- Chillin
Agreeing...no sign of Amile.

https://www.portsmouthinvitational.com/2017-pit-players

[awhom111]

Am I missing something? I don't see him listed on that team (or any team). I've checked twice and CTRL+F his name.

- Chillin

As of this moment he is not listed. He was when I posted it and it was reported elsewhere. It appears that it is no longer the case. Hopefully this is good news, like he got an invite to the main combine or something. It looks like he's at the Barnstorming Tour, so bad news like an injury seems unlikely.

In another note, former Duke assistant Trisha Stafford-Odom will be one of the assistant coaches.

[Furniture]

http://pilotonline.com/sports/basketball/professional/pit-alums-are-defined-by-their-underdog-mentality/article_dfb927d9-4d9a-5965-801e-2bb62c2d6205.html

The tournament has done that by tweaking its invitation process and asking a select group of players to pay their travel expenses up front and get reimbursed when they show up. This alleviates, at last in part, the yearly problem of the tournament buying non-refundable tickets for players who back out at the last minute.
“The PIT is conscious of not wasting any money, and we want to have the resources to bring in players from the West Coast,” Ekstrand said.
With players from UCLA, Washington State, Arizona State, Cal and Santa Clara scheduled to play, the tournament cast a wide net this year.
“We’ll wait and see who gets off the plane,” said Parker, ever mindful of last-minute changes.

Just Tuesday, for example, Duke’s Amile Jefferson pulled out.
The tug-of-war between player agents and the tournament is a frequent occurrence. The former often deem it more prudent for their clients not to play.

[CameronBornAndBred]

As of this moment he is not listed. He was when I posted it and it was reported elsewhere. It appears that it is no longer the case. Hopefully this is good news, like he got an invite to the main combine or something. It looks like he's at the Barnstorming Tour, so bad news like an injury seems unlikely.

In another note, former Duke assistant Trisha Stafford-Odom will be one of the assistant coaches.
The one Duke coach I could happily never, ever read good news about again. Ever.
She jumped ship to join Sylvia's crew...eff that.

[rsvman]

I live nearby, in Chesapeake. Almost every year I say I'm going to go to this thing, and almost every year I blow it off.

A couple of years ago, though, I took my teenage son to it, because Andre Dawkins was playing in it. We had a good time, and after the games my son got to meet Andre and talk with him for a minute or two. Andre signed a hat and a shirt for him, and we took a couple of photos of my son standing next to Andre. It's a fond memory.

With Matt being there this time around, my son and I may have to go to it again! We would both love the chance to meet Matt.

[Furniture]

I live nearby, in Chesapeake. Almost every year I say I'm going to go to this thing, and almost every year I blow it off.
With Matt being there this time around, my son and I may have to go to it again! We would both love the chance to meet Matt.

If you go please give him some DBR love and wish him the absolute very best!! We are rooting for him!!

[awhom111]

Matt had 14 points and 6 rebounds in 25 minutes as his team won their first game 87-86.
Boxscore:
https://media.wix.com/ugd/9dbc28_534dc74f5c8546aebac8b7e209d73af7.pdf

[NSDukeFan]

If you go please give him some DBR love and wish him the absolute very best!! We are rooting for him!!

If he or she were accurately representing DBR, he or she would have to give him half love and half complaints about how poor a player he is, although there might be less negative now that he is done at Duke. :)

[awhom111]

Matt had 16 points in 25 minutes in a 106-105 overtime loss. He will play in the third place game on Saturday.
Boxscore:
https://media.wix.com/ugd/9dbc28_7e01dd1f4b08429e85a22c092ea422c8.pdf

[awhom111]

Matt finished strong with 22 points and 7 rebounds in 25 minutes in an 87-86 win.
Boxscore:
https://media.wix.com/ugd/9dbc28_426fa04072d3433ea3712ae0e7321e64.pdf

[Indoor66]

Matt finished strong with 22 points and 7 rebounds in 25 minutes in an 87-86 win.
Boxscore:
https://media.wix.com/ugd/9dbc28_426fa04072d3433ea3712ae0e7321e64.pdf

I have been following this board for years and was assured that Matt was not an offensive or rebounding threat - and only played marginal defense and should have been sitting for four years. What happened in Portsmouth?

[fuse]

I have been following this board for years and was assured that Matt was not an offensive or rebounding threat - and only played marginal defense and should have been sitting for four years. What happened in Portsmouth?

Here is the mystery wrapped in the enigma that is Duke basketball.

Matt is another in a fairly distinguished list of Duke players who did what they were asked/ player their role perhaps despite having more to offer.

Happy for Matt, hope it translates to success at the next level.

[awhom111]

DraftExpress has Matt's measurements and athletic testing results. He measured at 6'4" with a 6'8" wingspan and weighed in at 200. Although he wasn't terrible in the agility drill, he was one of the slowest players in the sprint and only recorded a 24" no step vertical, which is not so great by basketball standards.

[jv001]

DraftExpress has Matt's measurements and athletic testing results. He measured at 6'4" with a 6'8" wingspan and weighed in at 200. Although he wasn't terrible in the agility drill, he was one of the slowest players in the sprint and only recorded a 24" no step vertical, which is not so great by basketball standards.

Those traits/skills are the reason some DBR fans did not like Matt Jones. They like the shinny new play toy(player) and wished Matt was frozen to the bench. All Matt did was do his job, never complain and be a great teammate. Thanks Matt for your four years at Duke University. GoDuke!

[CDu]

I have been following this board for years and was assured that Matt was not an offensive or rebounding threat - and only played marginal defense and should have been sitting for four years. What happened in Portsmouth?

The quality of competition decreased, both on his own team (probably most important) and on the opponents. The Portsmouth Invitational doesn't generate a lot of NBAers these days.

[rocketeli]

Matt Jones is not NBA player material. No shame in that, after all, I'm not either--and I'm infinitely further away from that state than he is. I wonder what he wants to do next? He has the kind of skills/mindset that a lot of euro-leagues and foreign leagues value, just not from the American players, who are recruited to be more stars/scorers. If he is done as an active player, maybe law school or coaching? Coach K could probably help out.

( In passing, situations like that are why I always shake my head (metaphorically) at the occasional poster who opines that they want K to administer a beat-down or humiliating defeat on some opposing team (not UNC). Those opposing coaches are people K might want a favor from some day--they have a slot open for an assistant coach, or they are on a rule committee or the selection committee. They don't mind if they get beaten--that's part of the process, but they would remember, and be looking for revenge, or be unlikely to want to help if they were unnecessarily embarrassed. Coach K is a genius at what he does, and part of being a genius is paying attention to all the details. Do those same posters think it's just some weird coincidence that all the walk-ons have fathers who are prominent in the basketball world, or big donors? Coach K thinks of everything.)