Tuti Jones, Belmont Cornerstone Enters Sixth Season

Belmont Vision Multimedia, Nick Rampe

Approximately 2% of high school athletes go on to play a sport at the NCAA Division I level. 

Even fewer play for the typically allotted four seasons. And fewer still play all four seasons with the same team. 

Tuti Jones is the outlier, now playing in her sixth season on the Belmont women’s basketball team. 

“Tuti is one of a kind,” said Betty Wiseman, the founder of Belmont’s women’s basketball team and current assistant athletic director. “I really think that’s a first in the program, and you don’t see that kind of loyalty and commitment normally from student athletes.” 

In her five seasons at Belmont so far, Jones rose in the university’s record books. She ranks sixth in career points, fifth in assists and first in steals, still with one last season to climb even higher.  

However, she only cared about one of these records: the one that put her highest up on her family’s leaderboard. 

“I wanted the steals record for sure, just so I can say I beat my mom. Other than that, I don’t really pay too much attention to it,” said Jones. 

Her mother, Dyneshia Jones-Elder, played collegiate basketball at Troy University in Troy, Alabama: Jones’ hometown. She accumulated 179 total steals in her career as a Trojan, and her 3.1 steals per game are still the most of any member of Troy’s women’s basketball team.  

Her defensive-minded playstyle rubbed off on her daughter, especially after coaching her high school team to a perfect 29-0 season in Jones’ senior season at Charles Henderson High School. 

“It definitely gave me a little bit of confidence, like having that many wins before I had to go to college,” said Jones. “I loved playing for my mom; it was like I got to be a coach on the floor… I knew exactly what she wanted from me and what she wanted from the team.” 

ESPN ranked Jones as the No. 31 best guard prospect coming out of high school. With this, she had plenty of offers on the table when it came to college.  

She considered following in her mother’s footsteps at Troy University, but wanted to pursue a collegiate career further from home.  

Her new home was evidently Belmont University, roughly 300 miles north of Troy. She described Belmont as the “perfect place,” and head coach Bart Brooks and the coaching staff thought she was the perfect fit for the Bruins. 

“Her competitiveness and her toughness always jumped off the page,” said Brooks. “When we went to go watch her play, we knew she was the level of competitor that we needed… She’s a winner.” 

That competitive nature shines through in her defensive play, and while she is Belmont’s all-time steals leader, her impact on the team, both on and off the court, can’t just be measured by a stat sheet. 

“She’s had games where she’s scored 30 points, and she’s had games where she’s taken two shots and impacted the game just as much because of how she plays defensively,” said Brooks. “Her value, whatever the record books say—with her records and the wins and the accolades—that’s all amazing, but everyone who’s played with her and coached her knows that her value is way beyond that.” 

Jones is not just a good defender; she is consistently recognized as one of, if not the best, in her conference. She won the Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year award during her sophomore season, and Belmont’s move to the larger Missouri Valley Conference the following season didn’t stop her from being recognized. She was named to the MVC All-Defense Team in each of the last two seasons. 

Wiseman, who saw every season of Belmont women’s basketball, said Jones is “probably the best overall defensive player that I can remember.”  

“She has it mentally, psychologically, emotionally. She studies it. I think a lot of it’s just natural to her. This will be her sixth year, and it’s been fun just to have her at the helm of the defense.” 

Although Jones has the stats and accolades to prove her competitiveness, toughness and defensive prowess, she doesn’t boast about them. Instead, she leads by example. 

“Tuti is not a person of a lot of words, but she speaks volumes with the way she carries herself,” said Wiseman. “It’s a quiet confidence that exudes purpose and meaning and fulfillment.” 

Her quiet demeanor paired with her abundance of experience made her an effective leader for her younger teammates, even if there was an adjustment period. 

“I think she’s definitely a little shy,” said Quinn Eubank, Jones’ teammate and roommate. “When I first met her last year, I actually remember calling my mom being like, ‘I don’t know if Tuti likes me because she doesn’t talk.’ I’m a very talkative person and I think that maybe shocked her a little at first. But now that we built that relationship… she’s not as shy anymore. She has a lot of leadership within her voice, especially being here for a long time, six years, a lot of people listen to her voice.” 

Eubank is only a sophomore but was aware of Jones’ impact on the team for years, going back to when Eubank was still in high school.  

“My first elite camp here, she was a freshman here, so it’s just kind of funny because now we’re roommates. She’s definitely a leader, and she’s taught me a lot, and I feel like I’ve matured just by even having a friendship with her,” said Eubank. 

Jones status as a cornerstone in the Bruins’ starting lineup began in her impressive freshman season, in which she averaged 9.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and three steals per game.  

While basketball itself seemed to come naturally, her leadership was something she developed. She isn’t a de facto leader due to seniority; it's a position she’s earned. 

“What I think has changed is her awareness and her perception of her ability to impact others. She came here and she handled her business, and now she’s handling her business while helping others handle their business,” said Brooks. “We’re following her lead every day.” 

While the team is following her lead now, Jones wants to follow Brooks’ lead and coach basketball after her collegiate career is done. She said that she’ll take his attention to detail and her mother’s passion for the game with her. 

“She has what you need to be a great coach,” said Brooks. “If she puts her mind to something, she’s going to be great at it.” 

Although she’s put some thought into her future after playing, she said her primary focus is still on this season and this team. She’s just two games away from playing in more games than any Bruin before her, and with that amount of time on the court comes a lasting legacy. 

“You look at those banners; she’s been a part of all of that. She’s built something, and it wasn’t here when she got here,” said Brooks. “She’s leaving it better than she found it… she’s going to leave as the most decorated player probably in the history of our program.”

This article was written by Nick Rampe