‘Buck is a beast’: How Caitlyn Jones of Rolesville makes life hard for opponents

In her first-ever session with trainer Trevor West, Caitlyn “Buck” Jones was putting in the work — until she stopped short.

Jones rolled the ball across the floor and paused, waiting to see what West would do. They locked eyes in a silent standoff — neither moving — until Jones finally retrieved the ball herself.

She was testing him, trying to gauge whether he could match her intensity. It was an early glimpse of Jones’ personality: quietly competitive, sharp-witted and always testing her limits.

For West, it was also the moment he realized this sixth grader was “super special.”

This week, Jones will take that same competitive fire to one of the most prestigious local stages in high school basketball: the John Wall Holiday Invitational. Held at Broughton High School and William Peace University from Dec. 26-30, the tournament showcases elite talent from North Carolina and across the country.

The boys’ side features three of the nations’ top-five recruits, 19 top-100 players and the No. 1 unsigned senior, Nate Ament. The girls’ brackets are also competitive, with players like top in-state prospect Adelaide Jernigan leading their teams against top-tier competition.

And then there are players like Jones, flying under the radar but ready to prove themselves on a big stage. As a two-star prospect and Wake Forest commit, Jones may not have the same national accolades as some of her peers, but her game speaks volumes.

“She thinks she has a quiet demeanor, but really, Buck is a beast,” West said. “You see it when she plays.”

‘Can’t do anything with Buck’

A standout point guard from Rolesville, NC, Jones already built an impressive high school resume. Last March, she led Rolesville High School to a state championship (its first championship of any program in school history), earning MVP honors in the 4A title game.

Jones averaged 23.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and four steals per game during her junior season, shooting 46% from the field.

Jones is known for her ability to drive to the basket and create in traffic — a skill she attributes in part to training against boys.

“It’ll get me ready for the game,” Jones said. “So that whenever I’m playing against the girls, I can get right into it and it’ll be easy for me.”

West jokes that most of his high school boys “can’t do anything with Buck.” And, as her highlights show, neither can most of her peers on the girls’ side.

In addition to her ability to finish through contact, Jones has developed a reliable shot — both from the perimeter and with quick pull-ups in transition.

The next step, in preparation for ACC competition, is getting in the weight room.

“It’s not going to be nothing easy, so I should probably put some muscle on me before I enter Wake Forest,” Jones said. “That’s really a big part of what I’m trying to do.”

Connections run deep

Jones’ connection to the John Wall Holiday Invitational runs deep.

She grew up watching her older cousin, Madison Jones, play at Ravenscroft. Madison, the starting point guard for the Ravens’ championship-winning teams in 2010 and 2011, made the All-Tournament Team in 2010 and 2011.

“My other daughters, they’re watching the cheerleaders and enthused by that,” Caitlyn Jones’ mother, Capathia, said. “And she’s in the basketball game, watching the ball.”

Watching her cousin Madison — who went on to play for Wake Forest — inspired Caitlyn from a young age. Now, as she prepares for the Holiday Invitational, Jones is looking to make her own mark on the tournament’s legacy.

“In this bracket that we’re in, I feel like we have a shot at making it all the way to the championship,” Jones said. “That’s what really excites me the most. We’re playing competition but I feel like we can also make it to the main stage, which is Broughton, and play a good team and play our hearts out.”

This story was originally published December 26, 2024 at 6:00 AM.