HANNIBAL, Mo. — Arguably the greatest boys basketball player in Hannibal High School history is getting the chance to play professionally.
Dezi Jones, a 2019 Hannibal graduate and the school’s all-time leading scorer, signed a contract this week to play for Rogaska Crystal in the Slovenian League. The club is located in Rogaska Slatina, Slovenia, and is scheduled to begin its season in late September.
The 5-foot-10 point guard became one of the area’s most celebrated prep basketball players during his career and helped turn Hannibal home games into a community event during his prep career.
As a senior during the 2018-19 season, he averaged 30 points per game and graduated having established school records for single-game scoring (50 points), single-season scoring (721 points) and career scoring (2,153 points). He also averaged 7.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.7 steals per game as a senior.
After two seasons at Moberly Area Community College, Jones went to Quinnipiac University, an NCAA Division I program where he started 29 of 31 games during the 2021-22 season and averaged 11.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He started 30 of 32 games during the 2022-23 season, averaging 12.5 points, 3.8 assists and 3.7 rebounds.
He transferred to Austin Peay for his final collegiate season, starting 25 of 35 games and averaging 14.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.
Jones underwent hip surgery in July 2024 and spent the last year in Hannibal training, serving as an assistant coach for Josh Pickett with the Hannibal boys basketball program, and putting on the “Dezi Jones Skills Training” for youth players.