After winning three straight state championships in Ohio, Richmond Heights basketball star Dorian Jones looks to add to his resume by making it four in a row for the Spartans. Jones, who committed to Ohio State as a top-100 recruit, prides himself on a defense-first mindset and, more importantly, a winning mentality.
The 6-foot-5 combo guard possesses pure athleticism and a smooth jumper, while his lengthy build makes it hard for opposing players to get shots off – showing similarities to his favorite NBA player, Kevin Durant. The future Buckeye noted the work he put in to become the team’s leader.
“Going to practice and just being ready to learn,” Jones said. “Every day, I’m still taking new information from my coaches.”
Richmond Heights had back-to-back losing seasons in 2016 and 2017 after not having one for over a decade. The Spartans were destined for a bounce back, and after two solid seasons in 2018 and 2019, the 2020 campaign paved the rest of the way. Richmond Heights was 23-4 overall and 16-0 in the conference, as they blew through the first three rounds of the OHSAA Division VI Boys Basketball State Championships — until COVID-19 abruptly ripped away their chance at a state championship.
A year later, Jones arrived at the program as a freshman and continued the prior year’s success. Jones was a highly coveted prospect as a freshman, and while he was deeply thankful for the looks, he wasn’t keen on the process of recruiting.
“Ever since I was a freshman, I’ve been getting recruited,” Jones said. “Getting contacted by coaches every day and night was long and irritating. But I’m grateful I’m committed now.”
Jones and Richmond Heights won their first of three straight state championships convincingly, allowing a combined 50 points in the semifinal and championship games. Jones led the team in 2023 to an undefeated season, going 29-0, and only having a handful of one-possession wins. 2024 was simply a replication of the last two, with no one able to stand in Richmond Heights’ way.
Dorian committed to Ohio State a few months after his third title, and the team looked promising to enter his senior season — until Jones got pneumonia three games in the season, and the team went 2-3 during his absence.
On day four of Hoophall, the Spartans matched up against Archbishop Stepinac, whose consistently been a hub for high-level collegiate players and even NBA talent. Richmond Heights was noticeably outsized, as Jones and fellow 6-foot-5 teammate AJ Adio were the tallest players for the Spartans, while Stepinac had eight players at least that height or taller. On top of that, Richmond only had eight available players. The height advantage showed early, as Jones was tasked with guarding the Ratliff twins, both standing at a near seven feet, leading to three fouls in the first six minutes.
The Spartans were forced to go without Jones for the rest of the first half, and the Crusaders built a 13-point lead going into the third. After realizing the paint pretense was no longer an option, Richmond Heights shifted its focus to the long ball. They managed to cut the deficit to a one-possession game, with a Jones three and two shots way downtown from Joey Emory. Although the Spartans put up a good fight, the Crusaders pulled away in the fourth with several key offensive rebounds leading to second-chance points. As the clock hit triple zero, Richmond Heights took a 66-56 loss.
Richmond Heights head coach Quentin Rogers felt Jones’s presence missing on the hardwood when he was sick and even today when he was in foul trouble.
“He just got back, so we’re just now starting to gel as a team,” Rogers said. “We still have to get used to each other, and we’ll keep going from there.”
As for Jones’ defensive play, he showed several flashes while guarding Adonis Ratliff, as he held him to 1-6 from three while also forcing two turnovers. Jones ended with five points, four rebounds, a block and attempted seven threes – one of which fell. The Spartans shot 35 threes, the most threes by a team through 25 games of Hoophall so far, and it’s nine more than the second-highest. Rogers knows that Jones has a bright future ahead of him.
“[Jones is] a winner,” Rogers said. “I’m preparing him so he’s ready on day one when he steps foot on a college court.”
Jones is excited to finish his high school career soon and play for head coach Jake Diebler at Ohio State. Diebler was recruiting Jones far before he became the head coach last season, and they’ve built a great relationship.
Jones has his eyes set on becoming the next Buckeye legend.
“I wanna go there and be ready to play, bringing dubs home, and win a national championship,” Jones said. “I want to do everything I can possibly do to win.”