STARKVILLE — Missouri’s D'moi Hodge caught a pass at midcourt with a clear path to the basket. Looking like a wide receiver in a blown cover, Hodge took two steps in stride of a perfect throw and elevated for an easy dunk.

A fan sitting courtside jumped out of his seat and pumped his fist anticipating the slam. Enter Mississippi State guard Shawn Jones Jr.

“He makes plays where you go, ‘Wow,” first-year Bulldogs coach Chris Jans says.

Despite being on the other half of the court when the pass was made, Jones caught up to Hodge for a Lebron James-esque chasedown block off the backboard. It sent the ball back beyond the free throw line and forced the courtside fan immediately back into his cushioned seat.

On air, SEC Network analyst Joe Kleine provided an iteration of Jans’ theory.

“Whoa,” he said.

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The block was the start of highlight-filled close to Jones’ first collegiate regular season. Four days after the loss at Missouri, Jones stripped Texas A&M’s Tyrece Radford with less than six minutes left and led the break for a coast-to-coast two-handed dunk. He scored a career-high 11 points in a win against South Carolina three days later.

With each moment and eye-catching performance, it becomes harder to believe Jones was without a team less than a year ago.

From Texas State commit to Mississippi State standout

Jones had a moment of realization on Saturday ahead of Mississippi State’s matchup at Vanderbilt. He thought back to where he confidence was a few months ago compared to the high level it’s at today.

His seven points in 20 minutes against the Commodores – a game which included an impressive alley-oop dunk – only added to his belief.

“I’m very comfortable and confident now,” Jones told the Clarion Ledger postgame. “I feel like that’s going to be a big part of what’s going to make me who I am. I’ve just got to keep the confidence and stay humble.”

However, that confidence once faltered. In April, Jones was dropped of a scholarship by Texas State by coach's decision. While most incoming freshman were preparing to head to campus, Jones had an open recruitment.

His mother encouraged him to keep working. She told him he’s good enough and someone will find him, but Jones admits it was difficult to stay positive.

“It was tough on me,” Jones said. “I’m not going to lie. It had me emotionally torn and mentally torn.”

Jones, who played AAU for Team Trae Young based out of Oklahoma, had a coach connect him with MSU assistant David Anwar. Mississippi State’s staff watched clips from Jones’ high school career, in which his athleticism and length were eye-popping.

On July 5, about two months after posting his recruitment was open, Jones committed as a walk-on. A few months later, when MSU started taking part in closed scrimmages, it became apparent to Jans that this overlooked prospect could become a gem.

March Madness' next Cinderella?

Jans stood on the sideline during Mississippi State’s late-February win against South Carolina when a pass was thrown toward Jones. With the angle Jans had, it appeared the pass – well behind Jones, who was running toward the lane – was headed out of bounds.

“Oh, that’s a turnover,” Jans told himself.

Instead, Jones reached back to catch it and get MSU points on the possession.

“It was an incredible display of his length, feel and just instincts,” Jans said. “It was like he had magnets in his hands."

For a late-arriving prospect who missed most of December with an injury, that type of natural ability is what helped Jones’ rapid development.

“He just keeps coming and coming,” Jans said.

His counterparts agree.

“(Jones) for sure is someone that I think, as his career unfolds here, will be a really good player in this league,” said Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams, who once recruited the Houston native.

What this season holds for Mississippi State remains to be seen. The Bulldogs open SEC tournament play on Thursday (noon, SEC Network) against Florida – a game MSU likely needs to win to remain on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble. Jones wants to taste The Big Dance, and he’s a reason MSU could get there.

A walk-on freshman igniting a Cinderella run, with the Final Four in his hometown, does sound like a wowing March Madness storyline.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Shawn Jones Jr. has helped Mississippi State basketball's March Madness push