Texas guard Andrew Jones has been diagnosed with leukemia, the school announced in advance of Wednesday night's game with TCU.
"Speaking for our entire team and staff, we love Andrew and will do everything we can to support his family and help him get back to health," Texas coach Shaka Smart said. "I want to thank everyone for being respectful of the privacy that the Jones family needs at this time."
Jones is a legitimate NBA prospect who was averaging 13.5 points for Texas this season. He'd missed five of UT's past seven games with an undisclosed illness. Now we know the 6-foot-4 guard was undergoing tests that led to this scary diagnosis. A statement from Jones' family indicated he has already begun treatments.
"This is obviously a difficult situation for our family," the statement read.
Jones was a five-star prospect coming out of high school and the 29th-best player in the Class of 2016, according to 247Sports. Obviously, there is no timetable for a possible return to the court.
"We know Andrew's a fighter with a strong family and our thoughts, prayers and support are fully behind them," Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte said. "At the University of Texas, we will do everything in our power to provide all of the resources we can to assist Andrew and his family."
