SAN JOSE, Calif. - ESPN and ABC broadcaster Mark Jones will join the broadcast team for San José State this Saturday alongside his daughter, Sophia Jones, for the women's basketball game against Fresno State at 1 p.m. on NBC Sports Bay Area inside the Provident Credit Union Event Center. Sophia Jones is a junior on the women's basketball team, but suffered an injury in preseason and has been calling games for the Spartans on the Mountain West Network.
"We are very excited that Mark can join Sophia for this historical broadcast on NBC Sports Bay Area," said SJSU Deputy Athletics Director Scott MacDonald. "Sophia has done a great job this season in serving as the analyst for home women's basketball games for the Spartans on the Mountain West Network, continuing to improve with every broadcast. Our fans will be able to watch an award-winning broadcaster call a game with an up-and-coming broadcaster, which happens to be his daughter. We want to thank our partner NBC Sports Bay Area and ESPN for helping us provide this unique opportunity."
Mark Jones also serves as the primary play-by-play commentator for the Sacramento Kings (2020-present). He joined ESPN in 1990 and works as a play-by-play announcer for NBA and college football games. He has hosted the network's SportsCenter coverage of the NBA Finals from 1991-96 and 2007-10 and called play-by-play for the 2011 NBA Finals for ESPN 3D. He has also hosted ESPN's coverage of NBA All-Star events, the NBA Draft Lottery, and has contributed to the network's NBA Draft coverage. Jones previously hosted ESPN's NBA Today and on occasion served as an anchor/reporter on SportsCenter.
"I'm thrilled," said Jones. "Being able to call the game with Sophia will always rank as one of my highest career achievements. A dream turned reality. We both share an intense love and passion for basketball and being about to announce it on live television is something I'll never forget."
Sophia played in three games her freshman season before suffering a season-ending injury, scoring just under 3.0 points per game. She returned from injury in 2021-22 and scored 3.0 points per game in 21 contests, dishing out 21 assists as the point guard. Jones tallied a career-best six points against New Mexico (2/25/22) and went 2-for-3 from behind the arc. Her uncle Paul Jones serves as the radio play-by-play announcer for the Toronto Raptors and she is an aspiring broadcaster, majoring in broadcast journalism at SJSU.
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