The Sandpoint Player-a-Day Countdown is back. It’s good again.

With the 4A IEL boys basketball tournament around the corner, the Bee will highlight one (or two) Sandpoint boys basketball players every issue in the first-ever SHS Basketball Player-a-Day series

The countdown kicks off with senior point guard Bruin Jones.

Any basketball fan will tell you that point guard play can make or break a team. And any basketball fan would also tell you that few types of players are as valuable as senior point guards.

Bruin Jones has been that guy for the Bulldogs.

Like all good point guards, Jones bridges the gap between his teammates and his players with his constant communication on the court. Watch him in any of the breaks in the action, and he’s usually talking to his teammates, sharing what his observations from the game and making adjustments on the fly. As a team captain and a four-year varsity player, these traits are expected; for Jones, the leadership role looks so natural on the court.

But Jones also knows when to take over games. Take the Bulldogs’ first matchup against Timberlake: Jones hit a pair of threes early in the first quarter, setting the tone for the rest of his teammates. He finished with 10 points on 3-6 shooting — including an impressive 3-5 from distance — while only committing one turnover in a three-point loss.

Although Jones had endured plenty of adversity as a basketball player, ranging from a 14-game losing streak his junior year, to having to adapt to a coaching change, Jones’s decision to make his younger teammates better this season will pay off later. Mentoring the next generation of Sandpoint players might not show up in the box-score, but Jones’s performance this season should be lauded nonetheless.

Game of note: at Timberlake

In Wade Engelson’s words: “Nobody works harder than Bruin in practice, and nobody plays harder than Bruin. He sets a great example for the younger players. He’s the guys that gets the engine running for us, and he makes all the right adjustments during the games. We’re glad to have him in the program as a four-year varsity player.”