Arni's Birthday Zoom: Purdue basketball Alum Kip Jones turns 56 today
Today’s Arni’s Birthday Zoom (March 20, 2023) celebrates birthday No. 56 former Purdue forward Kip Jones. Jones was part of two Big Ten championship teams (1987 and 1988) and appeared in three NCAA Tournaments. Find out what Jones is doing now and his take on NCAA disappointment, something he experienced during his Boilermaker playing career.
Jones, who now lives in the Fort Wayne area, recalls his family life growing up, and also is candid about what is is like to face NCAA disappointment three times, especially the loss his junior year as a No. 1 seed in the Sweet 16.
“It sticks with you till this day,” Jones said. “We had great teams and great guys, but it didn’t work out for us as we would have liked in the NCAAs.
“I do know that Purdue is in good hands with (coach) Matt (Painter). He works so hard at recruiting, evidenced by his already seeing players after such a tough loss. Matt will look hard at himself and what he can do to succeed more in the NCAA. He is a competitor, he’s smart and he is introspective. Better days are ahead.”
More on the 1987-88 team: Link
Recent Arni’s Birthday Zoom interviews:
Note: We have been doing Arni’s Birthday Zoom interviews dating back to 2020. Many of those interviews can be found on Google. We are working on providing a complete directory of the many former men’s and women’s athletes who have participated.
