I know that Inglewood is often up to no good…but Inglewood native/part-time actor Wyking Jones is ready for his close-up after being hired in March to coach the Cal Golden Bears. He scored almost 20 PPG at Loyola Marymount before playing professionally overseas for several years, then worked for a number of notable coaches including Paul Westphal at Pepperdine and Steve Alford at New Mexico. After joining Rick Pitino at Louisville, he was part of the Cardinals’ 2013 NCAA title team before heading West to become part of Cuonzo Martin’s staff in Berkeley. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Jones about winning a title and starting a new job.
As a freshman at Loyola Marymount your team was #2 in the nation with 91.8 PPG: were you surprised that the team was able to keep piling up points even after the Hank Gathers/Bo Kimble/Paul Westhead era? I was not surprised at all because we still had a lot of talent on that team. We had great scorers like Terrell Lowery (26 PPG) and a great PG in Tony Walker.
As a junior your 19.7 PPG was #2 in the WCC: what is the key to being a good scorer? Having unselfish teammates who are willing to sacrifice and do the things needed for you to shine. It takes a team effort with guys setting screens, guards looking for you in the post, and the coach calling your play. I was talented but could not have done it without them.
You played pro basketball overseas for several years after graduating: what is the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball in other countries? Back when I played the biggest difference was that big guys were more skilled overseas, but I think that we have bridged the gap since then with 6’9” NBA guys like Kevin Durant/the Greek Freak. Coaches utilize the skill set of their bigs a lot more now.
You spent 2 years as an assistant to Steve Alford at New Mexico: what kind of relationship do you 2 have, and how will it feel when you have to face his UCLA squad? We have a good relationship: going against him will be like going against anyone else. Competition is the same no matter who you are playing.
In the 2013 NCAA tourney title game as an assistant to Rick Pitino at Louisville you had a 6-PT win over Michigan: what did it mean to you to win a title? It was an unbelievable feeling to be the last team standing and know that all your hard work paid off. It was very rewarding to do it with a group of guys who were very close.
You were an assistant to Cuonzo Martin at Cal before being hired as his replacement in March: why did you take the job, and will you still have time to pursue your part-time acting career? I took the job as an assistant to be closer to my home/family in southern California, and my wife was raised around Berkeley as well. I appreciate Coach Martin for hiring me and allowing me to do that. Acting has always been something that pops up and sometimes I will sneak in for a cameo, but it is not what pays the bills! I am a coach and that is what I do every single day.
In the 2017 NIT you had a 7-PT loss to Bakersfield: what did your team learn from that game that will help them this year? You have to prepare and be ready no matter what you think the level of competition is. I think we took the Roadrunners lightly and thought that we could just show up and win but we got a butt-whupping. You have to give everything you got no matter who you play.
Your sister-in-law Dr. Na’ilah Suad Nasir was Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion at Cal: is she a basketball fan, and is the basketball team doing anything special to further the principles of equity/inclusion? She has now taken another job in another field but supports our program because of our relationship. We do not specifically focus on equity/inclusion because treating everyone with respect is already part of our culture.
Your non-conference schedule includes games against Wichita State/St. Mary’s: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? The next game is our biggest test: that is my mentality/approach and what I am instilling in our players/staff. It does not matter what school’s name is on your opponent’s jersey: you have to give every team respect and try to give 110% in every game.
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? My long-term goal is to continue to take the program in an upward trajectory and continue to get better. We have a young team and it feels like we are teaching them something new every day so I do not expect us to win a specific number of games. We need to increase our teamwork because there are so many new faces but ultimately it is about taking the program in the right direction.