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After watching Dillon Deck rip down yet another double-double against St. Pius X, Andrew Jones had a couple words of wisdom for his protégé.

"If I could give him anything, I would just want him to be a little bit meaner and a little bit tougher," said Jones, the former Smithville standout and current tight end at Missouri.

No surprise coming from Jones, who dominated the post at Smithville for four years with the aggression and physicality you'd expect from a gridiron superstar.

But even Jones recognizes the difference between his style of play and Deck's. Two inches taller, the Smithville junior has much longer arms and finishes with a grace that never really suited Jones' hard-nosed demeanor on the hardwood.

"He's got more gifts than I do," Jones said. "He's so tall and long and gotten a lot better. He's definitely on his way to breaking all my stuff and being a great player, too."

At the request of his former coach, Jones returned to Smithville nearly a half-dozen times during his time between semesters in Columbia and scrimmaged with some of his former Warrior teammates. While Deck and Jones never went 1-on-1, per se, the Mizzou standout believes Deck has everything it takes to eventually join him in the Division I ranks.

"He's already good, but by next year, he's going to be good enough to play wherever he wants," Jones said.

- Jones returned to Columbia this week after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum that hampered him throughout his sophomore season with the Tigers.

Though he started eight games, Jones caught only eight passes for 43 yards but hopes the operation will allow him to enter next season in full health.

- A little more time in the gym appears to have remedied Deck's brief lull at the free-throw line. Actually, make that a lot more time in the gym.

Starting in the final game of the Bank Midwest/William Jewell Tournament, Deck went through a cold spell at the charity stripe. During a three-game stretch, he converted just nine of his 28 shots, including six misses in the third quarter alone against St. Pius X.

In response, Deck arrived at school early to shoot at least 100 free throws to rediscover his form.

"In the past, I was always kind of a good free-throw shooter and didn't worry about it," Deck said.

The extra work paid dividends during the Warriors' run to the Pleasant Hill title, as Deck went 18-for-21 from the free throw line and sunk all eight of his shots in the finale against Clinton.

For what it's worth, Deck now has converted his last 15 free-throw shots, dating back to the fourth quarter of the game of the tournament against Holden. He hopes to extend the streak tonight when the Warriors take on Winnetonka at home.

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