By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Lille, France – A clear message delivered by South Sudan in the 2024 Olympic Games and confirmed by Carlik Jones after elimination from the knockout stage of the tournament.
“I am just proud of my teammates, coaches, and we have come a long way. Not a lot of people expected us to be here. Not a lot of people expected us to even be in the game,” he referred to South Sudan competing in Lille and the game against Serbia on Saturday.
“I just think we played hard throughout the whole game. I think we finished the right way. Of course, things did not go the way we wanted,” he added.
Jones, 26, posted a 17-point, 10-assist double-double, lasting 40 minutes against Serbia. At 1-2 in Group C and at the bottom of the standings of third-placed teams, his country fell shy of a berth in the Quarterfinals.
“I think so,” he talked about referees impacting the deciding game, echoing reactions across the South Sudan camp, “I do not always like to blame the refs and stuff like that. But I think officiating does play a part, allowing the other team to be more physical than us, kind of does play a part. I felt like throughout the game, guys were able to use their hands and do some of the things we were not allowed to do. And it did kind of affect us on the offensive end or us on the defensive end, which is not allowing us to be as physical.”
“Just the beginning”
After making it to the Olympic Games and solid showings in Lille, South Sudan seems destined for further participation in major international tournaments.
“It is just the beginning,” said Jones, “Not a lot of people expected us to be here. I do not think a lot of people expected us to compete as well as we did. And we just got to keep working. Only time will tell. I got a lot of faith in those guys.”
“We play any of these three games over and am putting us over them any day of the week. So, I just think that we just need to keep the confidence in ourselves and keep moving forward,” he continued.
Over three appearances, the Cincinnati native averaged 18.0 points, 7.7 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per contest.
“It is just a blessing, honestly. Of course, without God, none of this is possible. I give all the praise to him, just allowing me to be in this situation. But it is warming, to know that some of my work and performances and stuff is not going unnoticed. But I feel like I have always been this way. So to get the notoriety is fun and it is cool, but I appreciate it,” he recapped his outings.
After 12 games played in the NBA, Partizan Mozzart Bet is expected to be the next step for Jones.
Photo Credit: FIBA