Watch CBS News

Apple Valley's Tre Jones Steps Out Of Brother's Shadow

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Nothing like filling the shoes of one of the greatest players in state history, Tyus Jones.

But when that player is also your big brother?

"I don't think about it too much," Apple Valley guard Tre Jones said. "But if I do hear the stuff, I mean, it just pushes me and makes me feel like I need to get a lot better so I can accomplish some of the things that he has."

He has taken over his brother's old position, starting point guard, as a freshman.

"The thing with Tre is I tend to forget what grade he's in," coach Zach Goring said. "You just don't see, you know, kids being able to step in as a ninth grader."

And he has Apple Valley humming along, running the offense at a prolific rate, winning game after game after game -- just like his big brother did.

"He's got the smarts, he's got the skill, he's just gonna keep getting better and better," Goring said.

Tre has got the same sky-high potential as Tyus, and in many ways he's like a younger replica.

"We're both pass-first point guards, and that's a big similarity of ours," Tre said.

So it's natural to wonder if he can be just as good. And that's fine, with a caveat.

"When we're talking about Tyus, we're talking about, in my opinion, arguably one of the best players in Minnesota basketball history. I certainly think he's in that group of, you know, three or four guys that have ever played, you know, [in] 100 years of basketball," Goring said. "So to ask if a ninth grader is gonna be in that range, it may be a little bit unfair -- but I wouldn't put it past Tre either."

Tre says that unlike his big brother, he thinks he plays a little more defense.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.