Kam Jones looked like a cruiserweight title fighter.

The 6-foot-5 guard for the Marquette men's basketball team stood in the tunnel of State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois, with a full-sized championship belt draped across his shoulder for being the leader in deflections in the Golden Eagles' previous game. He had just delivered several knockout blows as fourth-ranked MU earned a bruising road victory over No. 23 Illinois.

It was a fitting image because the sweet-shooting Jones also likes to dabble in the "sweet science" of boxing.

The Golden Eagles are championship contenders this season and will go toe-to-toe with heavyweight brands this week at the loaded Allstate Maui Invitational in Honolulu. MU (3-0) opens with UCLA (3-0) on Monday, and a victory would mean a likely battle with No. 1 Kansas on Tuesday.

Illinois coach Brad Underwood called Jones "one of the most underrated players in college basketball," but a good showing at a high-profile event like the Maui Invitational could raise Jones' stature.

An increase in popularity could lead to an increase in pressure for MU's leading scorer at 19.3 points per game. When he needs to blow off steam or get away from basketball, Jones likes to climb in the boxing ring.

"It’s fun hitting people," Jones said. "It’s not fun getting hit, obviously. Just learning different things.

"It’s like basketball. It’s a sport that I love. Love to fight. Love to get in the ring. It’s peaceful for me."

Boxing conditioning helps Kam Jones in basketball

Jones first laced up the gloves in his hometown of Memphis.

"I’ve been in boxing from like middle school," he said. "But in Milwaukee I just found a nice gym to go to. I’ve just been consistent and going because that’s something that I want to do at the end of the day."

Jones was introduced to Angel Villarreal Jr., the head coach of MU's boxing club who also trains fighters at the United Community Center, Milwaukee's hub for the sport. Villarreal lets Jones stop by the gym whenever Jones has free time.

It makes sense that Jones would like boxing. As a basketball player, Jones relies on craft and angles to score. In three games this season, Jones is 10 for 13 at the rim, which speaks to his nimble footwork around the basket.

"He's the best at that size finishing in the paint," MU head coach Shaka Smart said. "Particularly to not be an amazing athlete.

"Just his feel. Right hand. Left hand. Spins."

Some of those sweet moves carry over to boxing. The left-handed shooter also boxes southpaw.

"All the years of basketball helps me with my footwork in the ring," Jones said. "Me being able to do different things with my feet and still staying on balance."

The boxing training is beneficial to hoops as well, with the highly conditioned Jones ready to close out teams down the stretch. He hit two key layups to hold off Illinois, blowing by his defender and then finishing strong at the basket.

"It’s like a cheat code," Jones said of boxing conditioning. "You’re trying to hit something as hard as you can. Well not always as hard as you can, but you’re constantly hitting.

"You got to keep your breath. You got to exhale when you hit. You got to really focus on controlling your breathing and that really helps on the court."

Title fight in the future?

Jones was asked if Smart had any concerns about one of his star players loving a violent sport.

"I don’t fight during the season," Jones said. "Whenever we don’t have games, I put my headgear on and do whatever I got to do.

"Right now, I go there and just train. Hit the bag. Hit the pads. Just really conditioning."

Jones plans on a professional career in basketball after he is done at MU. But he's going to keep boxing, and maybe one day he'll have his first real fight.

"When I’m done hooping, I just want to be like an amateur fighter," Jones said. "Doing some amateur fights. It’s probably not realistic to try to be a pro."

So for now, Jones will focus on winning the deflections title belt while also chasing a ring with the Golden Eagles.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Marquette Golden Eagles' Kam Jones likes basketball and boxing