See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Joseph Staszewski
Brooklyn Daily
Former Bishop Ford girl’s hoops star Aaliyah Jones found both her current and future homes all in the same week.
The senior guard left Ford this summer and followed former coach Mike Toro to Medgar Evers. Then, just weeks into her time at the Brooklyn public school, Jones said she didn’t feel comfortable enough there, and transferred to Murry Bergtraum. But her decisions didn’t end there — she also verbally committed to play college basketball at Fordham University next year, choosing the Rams over Siena.
“It was a lot of decisions I had to make,” Jones said. “It was a lot. It was really overwhelming. Now I am so relieved about every decision that I made.”
Leaving for Bergtraum — the 15-time defending Public School Athletic League city champions — was the tougher choice in what Jones called a family decision. Medgar Evers was a big change for her from Bishop Ford, where she spent three years. None of her former teammates came with her, which left her not knowing anyone there, but at Bergtraum, she already has friends at the school. Jones said her mother, works at 1 Police Plaza right next to Bergtraum wanted her daughter close by. Jones said it was tough to leave Toro, but is comfortable in her new home.
“When I was at Medgar Evers it was a real start-over for me,” Jones said. “At Bergtraum I know the kids. We’ve played basketball together.”
The reigning Brooklyn Courier All-Brooklyn player of the year wants to help Fordham get to the next level, just like she did at Ford. The Rams made a run to the Atlantic-10 title game under third-year coach Stephanie Gaitley last season. Jones, who led Ford to its first-ever State Federation Class AA title last year, wants to make Fordham a consistent winner also.
“At Bishop Ford when we won the championship it was something that Bishop Ford had never done before,” said Jones, who wants to study law. “I like that feeling of being a person that made it happen.”
As the recruiting process went along, Jones became more adamant about staying close to home. At Fordham she found a good academic school and a team that has an up-tempo offense and a man-to-man defensive pressure style that fits her game. It’s a fit that Jones’s former New Heights travel team coach Curtiz Simpson believes will bring out the best in her.
“If she works hard enough, I think she can be a [conference] player of the year,” he said. “She can be an all-rookie player in the conference.”
Until then she will focus on being one of the city’s best players and trying to lead Bergtraum to a 16th-straight city crown and its first State Federation title since 2008. Jones is relieved to know where she will call home.
“I’m getting love from the Fordham family and the Bergtraum family,” Jones said. “I’m very satisfied with my decisions.”