Jones, a 6'7 small forward from North Hollywood High School in Los Angeles, California, played college basketball at Pepperdine, where he was a four-time all-West Coast Conference pick.
As a sophomore in the 1991–92 season, Jones upped his scoring average to 11.4 points on .583 shooting and was named first team all-conference.
He and senior Doug Christie led the Waves to an undefeated WCC season and their second straight NCAA tournament appearance that year.
[3] As a junior the following season, Jones averaged 15.6 points on 62% shooting and collected 9.1 rebounds and was named West Coast Conference player of the year for 1993.
[4] Dana Jones finished his Pepperdine career as the school's second leading scorer all-time (1,677 points).