MoMo Jones had to be humbled to get better.

It happens to all of us. Humility is a good thing. It opens eyes. It opens minds. It opened Jones’ ability to play better basketball.

It happened when Arizona faced UCLA back in early January when Jones was suspended for a game by head coach Sean Miller. Then came a meeting with Miller.

Then came the gradual progression of a potential star.

“I just humbled myself in going to the gym every day,’’ Jones said. “I got my mind right. I had to have the mindset that my teammates needed me and I didn’t want to let my teammates down.’’

Jones said senior Nic Wise has been a big help by being a “big brother’’ and if Jones could help Wise go out “with a bang’’ he’d help in any way.

Thursday night was a pretty good showing. Jones had 11 points and a team-high-tying six rebounds in Arizona’s 70-57 win at McKale. In fact, Arizona’s freshmen combined for 32 of Arizona’s 34 second half points.

How good will Arizona’s freshmen be?

“We’re going to be very good,’’ said Jones, whose reaction and voice tone said it all.

But Jones’ admission of being humbled was the better quote.

“We all go through it,’’ Jones said of being humbled. “Michael Jordan went through it. I’m sure LeBron James went through it. It’s just something I had to go through. You just have to build yourself back up from it.’’

He still has that bravado;  that’s obvious. But internally you can see maturation.

“I probably need to be more positive with him in describing him,’’ Miller said. “It’s not easy to do what he’s done in having a hard time adjusting to college. It’s such a different game because he’s a scorer.’’

Miller said Jones passes better, takes better shots and plays better defense.

And “he never lacks confidence,’’ Miller said. But that’s never been the problem.

Actually, it was that discussion Miller had with Jones during that stretch more than a month ago that triggered Jones to his current situation.

“I tried to humble him; I probably did as good a job as you can,’’ Miller said. “I don’t mean that in a negative context but every freshman has the things that he has to learn. Part of MoMo is settling into humility. And that it’s not all going to happen for him in six months.’’

But as Miller said if you look at Jones now compared to November, “he’s a player who knows what’s going on better than he did.’’

Miller said it doesn’t mean Jones will play as well in his next game “but his heart is in the right place and he’s helping our team.’’

Just in time. Humility is a good thing.

Just recently, Miller said he had another talk with Jones, telling he couldn’t continue to tell people he was from New York.

“They know it,’’ Miller joked. “When you remind them for the 57^th time they’ll say to you they heard it 56 other times. What he really means is nothing has never been given to him and he’s now doing (things) at Arizona and he feels good about it.’’

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