VILLANOVA, Pa. - Johnny Jones, who came to Villanova from Pompano Beach, Fla., and went on to become a star guard in his three seasons as a Wildcat in the late 1960s, has passed away. The Villanova Basketball office received word of the news on Thursday.

"Johnny was one of the all-time greats," stated Villanova head coach Jay Wright. "He was spiritual and passionate about life. He followed us closely from his home in Florida. The Nova Nation is losing a legend and a great man."

Jones, who was 68, excelled on Wildcats' teams that compiled a record of 57-23 (.713) in three varsity seasons under the tutelage of head coach Jack Kraft from 1966-69. He averaged 19.6 ppg. in his college career. As a senior he teamed with fellow Floridian (Sarasota, Fla.) Howard Porter on a legendary Wildcats' unit that finished 21-5 (.808) and was ranked as high as No. 5 in the Associated Press Top 20 poll before closing the campaign ranked No. 10 by the A.P.

Jones first attracted national notice when he scored 84 or 85 points during a game at Blanche Ely High School in Florida (published accounts list both totals). Sports Illustrated included Jones in its "Faces in the Crowd" section and that got the attention of young Villanova assistant coach George Raveling. Jones would soon come north to enroll at Villanova in 1965.

In those three varsity seasons, Jones scored 1,568 points featuring what Jones himself described years later to the late Phil Jasner of the Philadelphia Daily News as "an unusual jump shot, with my elbow all the way out." He was inducted into both the Philadelphia Big Five (1981) and Villanova Varsity Club Halls of Fame (1985).

Following his college career, Jones was a sixth round selection of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1969 and went on to play professionally in Belgium. He later became a teacher in Lauderhill, Fla. He returned to Villanova in October of 2012 and was introduced to the Pavilion crowd as part of the program's annual "Hoops Mania" season kickoff event.

Further information will be added to this story as it becomes available.