LEXINGTON, Kentucky – When Denver Jones arrived from Florida International to play basketball at Auburn in 2023, he said then and he says now he came to win.

“Honestly, that was the main reason why I came here,” Jones said after Auburn beat Creighton 82-70 on Saturday night to advance to next weekend’s Sweet 16 in Atlanta. “I came because I wanted to win and I knew the system. I knew the type of players that they were going to have here at Auburn. “

And win he has.

Jones, in what is likely his final Auburn season, won an SEC Tournament championship in 2024. A year later, he won a regular-season championship followed that. He is two wins away from an NCAA regional championship.

Pearl says Jones is the best perimeter defender in college basketball, but that’s not what he was thinking when he lured Jones to Auburn.

“No,” Pearl said. “He was a bucket-getter. But he had a big, strong body. There is a lot of power in that can. He just sits down and spreads out. He is physical, and he has quickness.”

Jones is still a bucket-getter, but he is a defensive force like few others.

The way we play defense is challenging already, jut coming from another school,” Jones said, “but I wanted to be one of the best two-way guards in the league. That was one of the main things I focused on, especially this off-season.”

Creighton point guard Steve Ashworth had 11 points in the first 12 minutes Saturday night, hitting three 3-pointers. Jones decided that was enough. Ashworth didn’t score again until he hit an uncontested layup after the game had been decided.

Jones, Pearl said, is a leader who lifts up those around him. He has accepted playing point guard much of the time, which he did not expect. And he has willingly put defense first.

“His leadership and his ability to guard picks everybody up,” Pearl said. Miles Kelly is playing the best defense of his career. Chad Baker-Mazara is so long and athletic. Dylan Cardwell is the best interior defender in college basketball.”

Creighton came out blazing from 3-point range, even on contested shots. The Bluejays hit nine of them in the first half to take a 40-38 halftime lead. In the locker room, Pearl and his players were confident they could deal with what was to come in the second half and win the game. That is what they did.

It feels great, man,” said Jones, who grew up in New Market near Huntsville. “Last year, we lost first game so the Sweet Sixteen that’s the furthest I’ve ever been. I want to go even further.”

Jones did his part on offense, too, especially after Baker-Mazara left with an apparent bruised hip, scoring 15 points and hitting two 3-pointers.

Yes, Jones remains a bucket-getter when his team needs him to be. Most of all, he is a winner.