Teammates, Baylor family lead to PJ3’s decision to return for sophomore season

The big news Monday was that despite the lure of being a potential top-5 pick in this year’s NBA draft, despite the taste left in his mouth by the team’s disappointing season this year, and despite the NCAA’s treatment of him this spring, Perry Jones III announced that he will return to Baylor and the men’s basketball team for his sophomore season. (Click here to watch the entire press conference.)

There’s plenty to be excited about concerning Jones’ return, of course. Most obviously, it means that in a season that could include as many as six new players, the Bears will still return four of five starters from a year ago — including Jones, who will be the team’s top returning scorer and second-leading returning rebounder. That gives Baylor a nice starting point even following this spring’s rough finish.

But beyond the numbers, the decision speaks volumes about what Baylor and his teammates in particular mean to Jones. As the soon-to-be sophomore said Monday, “The whole college experience and being with my teammates were a big part of it. I see my teammates as brothers and Baylor as my family. I’m having fun with them and enjoying life, and I didn’t want to cut that short. … Staying with them seems better than going out to the real world by myself and being alone and not having a great group of guys to help me.”

“As a basketball player, he has a special God-given ability in size and talent,” said head coach Scott Drew. “But what really makes him special is the type of person he is, and that is why his teammates were jumping up and down when he said that [he is returning].”

As we’ve written before, Baylor couldn’t ask for a better representative than Perry Jones III. Along with the rest of Baylor Nation, I look forward to seeing where he and the Bears can go next season.

Sic ’em, PJ3!

[Update: Michael Sokolove, the New York Times Magazine writer who wrote the publication’s excellent cover story on Perry Jones last month, blogged about PJ3’s return today to compliment Jones on the decision.]