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  CATHERINE JUN Only a freshman, Whitney Jones shows she can hang as a starter for both the UCLA soccer and basketball teams.

By Joshua Mason

Daily Bruin Reporter

Among the circle of Whitney Jones’ teammates and coaches, there’s not much consensus as to what type of character the freshman forward brings to the UCLA athletics scene.

“In terms of personality, you don’t know what to expect from Whitney,” teammate Michelle Greco said. “She has this dry sense of humor, and yet she’s very upbeat all the time. She’s that type of person who seems to always bring a smile to your face.”

“Whitney’s definitely different,” head coach Kathy Olivier added. “She’s this quiet person who you wonder sometimes if she’s even paying attention to you. But she knows exactly what’s going on.”

Others, like teammate Kristee Porter, find Jones’ off-court persona to be quite a puzzle.

“She’s a nice person, but sometimes I think she’s very weird,” Porter said jokingly.

Though her personality off the court is one of apparent inconsistency, the newcomer from San Clemente, Calif. has worked her way into becoming one of the new constants on the 3-15 Bruin squad – a team that has witnessed a significant resurgence in play since Jones and Porter joined the team partway into the season.

Jones’ basketball presence was missed for a stretch of six losses at the beginning of the hoops schedule as she played a vital role as starting midfielder for the women’s soccer team in its run to UCLA’s first-ever NCAA soccer championship game.

Only days after the soccer team lost to North Carolina by a final margin of 2-1, Jones was suited up to play a key role on the court in the women’s basketball team’s first win of the season against Long Beach State.

“It’s a hard transition coming in from soccer into basketball, but Whit’s dealt with it quite well,” said Porter, who is also aware of dealing with sports transitions, as she earned All-America honors for the volleyball team earlier in the season. “The fact that she adjusted so well and so quickly says a lot about her athleticism.”

Since her introduction to the UCLA basketball scene, Jones has seen nothing but a steady improvement in her game. She and Porter have started the last six games together at the forward positions and have added a defensive depth that the Bruins seemed to lack earlier in the season.

Jones’ scoring and rebounding tallies have been improving gradually as the season progresses. In UCLA’s loss to Oregon on Saturday, she recorded seven points and seven rebounds, a total that Olivier hopes will increase to double digits by the end of the season.

“People have to remember that (Jones) is only a freshman and she hasn’t worked out with us at all this year,” Olivier said.

“We usually don’t see much improvement in our players until after their freshman seasons, as it is. I think how much she’s accomplished already is a testament to how well Whitney has adapted to this level.”

The current role Whitney Jones plays for the basketball squad is not one that garners much acclaim.

She doesn’t handle the ball very much, nor does she score an exceptional amount of points. Her season average of 5.2 points and 3.6 boards per game are not exactly mind-blowing statistics. But what really makes Jones a special player are those numbers outside the box scores.

“Whitney does the things that don’t show up in the stats really, really well,” Olivier said.

And the respect she has garnered from her teammates is certainly evident of that.

“She’s definitely another offensive threat for us,” Greco noted. “And defensively, she’s a very smart player, almost like a cat when she goes after the ball.”

Among those nonstatistical attributes the team finds praiseworthy in Jones is the aggressive demeanor she brings to the court, and her ability to mix that toughness with a modest profile that keeps her out of the spotlight.

“Whitney does so many things right,” Greco said, “She crashes the boards well for someone her size, she opens holes up for players like me, and she’s very effective in tying up other teams on defense. Against Arizona, I remember her forcing something like seven jump balls. And things like that which she does so well, she usually doesn’t get any credit for.”

Not that Jones wants any credit anyway. When asked what it is exactly that makes her the player she is, Jones has little self-promotion to offer.

“I just do what I can,” the freshman replied. “I don’t play sports for any recognition really. I just like to stay active and be part of a team.”

Jones’ role as a team player, whether it’s on the basketball court or the soccer field, works for the time being. Still just a freshman, she provides a valuable compliment to offensive playmakers like Greco.

“Nothing really throws her off,” Olivier said. “She doesn’t get too high, she definitely doesn’t get too low, and she just goes with the flow.”

In light of her potential, however, Jones will likely be seeing much more attention in the coming years than she may be ready for.