The ‘face’ of Indian Land: Experienced junior Mike Jones leads SC basketball contender
The most important aspect of Mike Jones’ leadership is being vocal.
Jones, the 5-foot-10 junior on the Indian Land boys’ basketball team, has played on varsity since he was in eighth grade. He stepped into a bigger role after emerging as one of the Warriors’ best players as a freshman in 2022-23.
His skills have only improved.
The point guard averages 22.9 points per game for Indian Land, which is off to its best start in school history. The high school on the Lancaster County panhandle boasts a 15-1 record and looks to win its fourth straight game Tuesday at Clover.
While undersized, Jones isn’t just a scorer — he leads his teammates with nearly three steals per game and 32 assists — and has earned his role as a captain on head coach LJ Johnson’s squad.
“It’s been great,” Jones said. “LJ (Johnson) always told me: ‘Leadership don’t got on age on it.’ Coming as a freshman, I’ve always been a leader in every effort. Just going around, trying to be more vocal, getting my teammates involved. Being able to bond off the court and on the court.”
Jones moved to SC from Pennsylvania
Roughly four years ago, the Jones family moved from Erie, Pennsylvania, to South Carolina.
Jones’ father and uncles were all basketball coaches. They’d routinely take him to practices in the northwest Pennsylvania city located on the south shore of Lake Erie, and a young Jones felt like he was always inside a gymnasium.
Jones also played football back in the day, even suggesting that “if you go back (to Erie), people will tell you I’m better at football.” But he loved basketball a little more, and a big reason for the family’s move to Indian Land was for more exposure on the hardwood.
“All these younger guys want to have somebody they can look up to and rally on, but we threw him into the fire as soon as he got here,” Johnson said. “(Jones) and Sequel Patterson have been playing since they were in eighth grade. Mike got to take the reins here when he was in ninth, and those guys have been spearheading this thing for the past two years.
“They’re still young, per se, but they have all the experience in the world. A lot of our other players on our team had to get reps on the JV level, freshman team, and they understood the expectations: We’ve had shortcomings to the end of our seasons, and they want to be able to step up and play with him.”
Indian Land chases first state title, and Jones wants nothing more
It’s been more than a half-century since the Warriors appeared in a state championship.
Indian Land won the Upper State title in 1972-73 and lost the Class A title game to Holly Hill, the first of three straight championships for the Orangeburg County school.
Jones has impressed his coach as an all-around standout from the start. He’s a smart player who makes impressive in-game decisions, while exhibiting leadership qualities that make his teammates rally around him.
But there’s one thing that Johnson talks to him about the most: Leaving a legacy.
“The season before we got here, (Indian Land) was 7-15,” Jones said. “(Johnson) came in during my eighth-grade summer and said: ‘This school needs a face. Who’s gonna be that face?’
“I told him: ‘I’m ready for the challenge.’”
This story was originally published January 13, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
