Phill Jones was one of the most accurate long-range marksmen in the EuroCup this season but he didn't expect to be an All-Star.

The fans thought otherwise, though. They voted the 32-year-old New Zealander onto the Rest of the World side for the March 14 event in Lemesos.

"I was pretty surprised," the Vertical Vision Cantu guard said to PA Sport.

		“	There must have been a lot of people back in New Zealand who voted.	„
		Phill Jones on his All-Star Day selection

"I wasn't expecting to be involved. It's good. I'll go there and enjoy it and not expect too much. We'll have some fun.

"It will be good to meet up with my fellow national team-mate, Mark Dickel."

Dickel is the point guard for Lokomotiv Rostov.

Jones will not be in the three-point shooting contest in Cyprus as his success-rate during the EuroCup was not as high as All-Star team-mates Glenn McGowan and Jarod Stevenson.

However, should McGowan (50%) of RheinEnergie Koln or Stevenson (46.6%) of Fenerbahce pull out, Jones would be the ideal replacement.

The 1.97m guard shot 45% (37-for-82) from three-point range in the EuroCup.

BC Siauliai failed to pay attention to Jones when they met on November 29 and he responded by making seven of 13 (53.8%) from behind the arc on his way to 29 points.

The Lithuanian team left Jones open, despite his 23-point effort the week before against Dexia Mons-Hainaut when he made five of seven (71.4%)  from three-point range.

On January 10 at home to Dynamo Moscow Region, he buried six of nine (66.7%) from long range and led the team with 30 points.

		Jones shot 45% from three-point range in the EuroCup.

When asked about his forthcoming All-Star appearance, he said: "I had a few big games, but as it was with a voting system, I was surprised there were that many people involved.

"There must have been a lot of people back in New Zealand who voted," he added, laughing.

Journey to Europe

Jones has made himself right at home in Cantu.

He has a basketball-playing wife from New Zealand, Katherine Stephens - she plays for the excellent Costamasnaga side.

The couple also have an 11-month-old daughter, Maia. 

It wasn't until Jones played in a tournament in Holland with the New Zealand national team several years ago that he considered the possibility of moving to Europe.

At the time, Jones worked for a bank in Nelson on the south island of New Zealand and also played for the pro team there.

"I grew up in a small town (Reeston). There weren't a lot of opportunities to play basketball, so I moved to Nelson in my last year of high school and after that, I got a job in a bank," he said.

"I had a chance to go to America to play college ball, but I stayed and worked almost seven years at a bank.

"At the time, I didn't know I could come to Europe and play."

He impressed while touring with the Tall Blacks.

"The first time I got approached, I was in New Zealand and I got a call from an agent who said this team wanted me for a trial.

"It was Panathinaikos. The bank let me go for three weeks and, when I came back, I resigned from the bank."

Jones signed a deal with Panathinaikos but first spent a year in Finland and won a league title with Kouvot.

He then experienced a dream run to the semi-finals of the FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis with New Zealand.

The following season, he went to Greece but not to play for Panathinaikos.

"When I got there, they sent me (on loan) to an A2 side and it didn't go well," Jones said.

"There were big money issues, and we stayed in a hotel for three months and the hotel had no washing facilities for your clothes.

"People were really nice, but the money side of things, it was terrible."

Jones would eventually find his way to Cantu.

"Italy is much more stable," he said. "After the experience in Greece, I wanted to be somewhere financially secure. In Italy, we've never had a problem."

New Zealand is where the heart is, though.

"The club here has set us up with an apartment and vehicle, but we have a house back in New Zealand. The lifestyle in Cantu is great, the town's not big. We come from a small one in New Zealand, too.

"Reeston is on the west coast of the south island and has about one thousand people. I lived there until I was 18.

"Our house is in Nelson. That is the place we want to settle down. We have many friends and good contacts there.

"Now with the little girl, it changes the perspective. It would be nice to get her a little brother or sister."

Phill Jones was one of the most accurate long-range marksmen in the EuroCup this season but he didn't expect to be an All-Star.

The fans thought otherwise, though. They voted the 32-year-old New Zealander onto the Rest of the World side for the March 14 event in Lemesos.

"I was pretty surprised," the Vertical Vision Cantu guard said to PA Sport.

		“	There must have been a lot of people back in New Zealand who voted.	„
		Phill Jones on his All-Star Day selection

"I wasn't expecting to be involved. It's good. I'll go there and enjoy it and not expect too much. We'll have some fun.

"It will be good to meet up with my fellow national team-mate, Mark Dickel."

Dickel is the point guard for Lokomotiv Rostov.

Jones will not be in the three-point shooting contest in Cyprus as his success-rate during the EuroCup was not as high as All-Star team-mates Glenn McGowan and Jarod Stevenson.

However, should McGowan (50%) of RheinEnergie Koln or Stevenson (46.6%) of Fenerbahce pull out, Jones would be the ideal replacement.

The 1.97m guard shot 45% (37-for-82) from three-point range in the EuroCup.

BC Siauliai failed to pay attention to Jones when they met on November 29 and he responded by making seven of 13 (53.8%) from behind the arc on his way to 29 points.

The Lithuanian team left Jones open, despite his 23-point effort the week before against Dexia Mons-Hainaut when he made five of seven (71.4%)  from three-point range.

On January 10 at home to Dynamo Moscow Region, he buried six of nine (66.7%) from long range and led the team with 30 points.

		Jones shot 45% from three-point range in the EuroCup.

When asked about his forthcoming All-Star appearance, he said: "I had a few big games, but as it was with a voting system, I was surprised there were that many people involved.

"There must have been a lot of people back in New Zealand who voted," he added, laughing.

Journey to Europe

Jones has made himself right at home in Cantu.

He has a basketball-playing wife from New Zealand, Katherine Stephens - she plays for the excellent Costamasnaga side.

The couple also have an 11-month-old daughter, Maia. 

It wasn't until Jones played in a tournament in Holland with the New Zealand national team several years ago that he considered the possibility of moving to Europe.

At the time, Jones worked for a bank in Nelson on the south island of New Zealand and also played for the pro team there.

"I grew up in a small town (Reeston). There weren't a lot of opportunities to play basketball, so I moved to Nelson in my last year of high school and after that, I got a job in a bank," he said.

"I had a chance to go to America to play college ball, but I stayed and worked almost seven years at a bank.

"At the time, I didn't know I could come to Europe and play."

He impressed while touring with the Tall Blacks.

"The first time I got approached, I was in New Zealand and I got a call from an agent who said this team wanted me for a trial.

"It was Panathinaikos. The bank let me go for three weeks and, when I came back, I resigned from the bank."

Jones signed a deal with Panathinaikos but first spent a year in Finland and won a league title with Kouvot.

He then experienced a dream run to the semi-finals of the FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis with New Zealand.

The following season, he went to Greece but not to play for Panathinaikos.

"When I got there, they sent me (on loan) to an A2 side and it didn't go well," Jones said.

"There were big money issues, and we stayed in a hotel for three months and the hotel had no washing facilities for your clothes.

"People were really nice, but the money side of things, it was terrible."

Jones would eventually find his way to Cantu.

"Italy is much more stable," he said. "After the experience in Greece, I wanted to be somewhere financially secure. In Italy, we've never had a problem."

New Zealand is where the heart is, though.

"The club here has set us up with an apartment and vehicle, but we have a house back in New Zealand. The lifestyle in Cantu is great, the town's not big. We come from a small one in New Zealand, too.

"Reeston is on the west coast of the south island and has about one thousand people. I lived there until I was 18.

"Our house is in Nelson. That is the place we want to settle down. We have many friends and good contacts there.

"Now with the little girl, it changes the perspective. It would be nice to get her a little brother or sister."