Archbishop Carroll High School alumnus Derrick Jones recently signed a contract with the Phoenix Suns, and will begin his quest to earn a roster spot in the NBA today, when his team opens training camp in Flagstaff, Ariz., on the campus of Northern Arizona University.

Jones, a 19-year-old native of Chester, had his college career at UNLV come to a sudden halt at the end of his freshman year last season. Four days before his team’s regular-season finale, Jones was informed that the NCAA was nullifying his ACT score, and thus declaring him ineligible.

The tactics used at a particular Baltimore-area testing site where Jones and other athletes took their test were called into question.

Jones, who rose to national prominence with his athleticism and acrobatic dunks as a high schooler in Radnor, immediately declared for the NBA draft. However, he was not invited to the combine and went unselected. He played in the NBA summer league last June with the Sacramento Kings.

The 6-foot-6 small forward averaged 11.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 21.5 minutes per game with the Runnin’ Rebels.

“The coaches know what I can do and they believe in me,” Jones said. “I feel as though I’m going to do well in training camp.

“Everyone says I have NBA athleticism, but that’s not going to get me to the rim every time. Everybody in the NBA is either your size or stronger, so I know I’ve got to get stronger, too. I need a jump shot to stretch the field a little bit more, because if they’re not coming out to guard me, I’m not going to play.”

Jones’s chances of making the Suns are slim, while the possibility of playing his first year as a professional in the NBA Development League is strong. The NBA’s minor league is tailored for players of his ilk: works in progress whose age and potential work in their favor.

Three Delaware County natives – Chester’s Jameer Nelson, Tyreke Evans, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson – currently play in the NBA.