Tre Jones officially announces his return to Duke's men's basketball for his second season

We knew Tre Jones was definitely thinking of a second year season, but now everything is settled.

In an official tweet Monday night, Duke announced that Jones would actually return to school for his second season as Blue Devil and would not declare himself for the NBA 2019 draft. The native of Apple Valley, Minnesota, would have been a late pick in the first round and would probably have joined his classmates, Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish, all of whom should announce their intention to become professional in the coming days.

In his first season at Duke, Jones led the Blue Devils with 5.3 assists per game and was ranked third in the country for the ratio of attendance to change of direction. The freshman was also a pivotal defense for Duke, who was generally responsible for defending the best player on the opposing team, and was named to the CAC's Advocacy Team for his outstanding work.

Jones was a highly touted recruit from Apple Valley High School, ranked as the best leader in his class and following in the footsteps of his older brother, Tyus. He more than met the expectations of the defensive side, but had offensive difficulties for much of the year, finishing the season at only 26.2% over a distance of 3 points.

The freshman however still scored 18 points in the ACC championship match to help the Blue Devils to overtake the state of Florida. He also scored 22 points, including five triples, against Virginia Tech in the Sweet 16 Tournament of the NCAA Tournament to help save Duke's season and send the Blue Devils to Elite Eight.

Jones will continue to focus on developing his jump shot and become a more consistent offensive threat during his second season. The defense intensity and leadership ability of the 6-foot-2 guard will be crucial, as Duke brings a new generation of first-year talent to adapt to college football.

The Blue Devils have enlisted guard Boogie Ellis, one of the top 50 rookies who, along with junior Jordan Goldwire, will join Jones to anchor the team in the back duke next season.