Note: Lamont “MoMo” Jones is the first regular starter to transfer from the Arizona program since Ruben Douglas left for New Mexico during the 1999-2000 season. Douglas started 14 games in 1998-99 and was labeled a returning starter until Gilbert Arenas took over the starting role.

The snapshot of Lamont “MoMo” Jones’ brief Arizona career, in my opinion, was not his 27-point heroic performance at Cal this season or his buzzer-beater at Stanford as a freshman.

Former Arizona guard Lamont Jones will take his leadership qualities to the East coast in 2012-13 (US Presswire photo/Gary A. Vasquez)

It was his demeanor in the Arizona locker room after Washington’s Isaiah Thomas nailed a game-winning jump shot over him as time expired in the Pac-10 tournament championship on March 12 in Los Angeles. The 77-75 overtime loss to the Huskies was hard enough to bear, but Jones also had one of his worst performances as a Wildcat.

Jones committed more turnovers (three) than he converted field goals (only one in a 1-of-8 afternoon).

He took it like a man. He did not hide from reporters. He did not offer one-word answers. He did not sulk. His eyes were not red from tears. I know this because he looked at me and other reporters in the eye. He spoke with conviction that he and his teammates would use the bitter loss as a springboard for the NCAA tournament.

The Wildcats reached the Elite Eight thanks in part to Jones’ 16-point performance (14 in the pivotal second half) in the Sweet 16 rout of Duke. Jones tallied six assists without a turnover in 28 minutes.

Arizona freshman sensation point guard Josiah Turner, who is bound to fill Jones’ spot in the starting lineup, should follow Jones’ lead in terms of being a leader by looking adversity in the eye. Arizona’s greatest — Sean Elliott and Steve Kerr among them — never ducked a hard moment.

Jones is no different. He is by no means the second-coming of Mike Bibby, but his leadership qualities do not take a backseat to most. Jones’ fiery, take-no-bull personality will be missed by the Wildcats. It’s a far cry from early in his freshman season, when UA coach Sean Miller benched him for complaining about playing time.

He matured mentally as much as Derrick Williams progressed physically in their two-year Arizona careers.

With Jones’ pending transfer to a school closer to his New York City home, Arizona just became decidedly younger and more wide-eyed.

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Daniel Bejarano (shown here at the conclusion of his stellar Phoenix North career) could not crack Arizona's rotation as a freshman, playing in only eight games (Arizona Republic photo)

With the likely transfer of guard Daniel Bejarano this week from the Arizona basketball program, coach Sean Miller needs to address only one more scholarship spot.

The Wildcats currently have 13 scholarship spots filled if all four of their Class of 2011 recruits attend the UA starting this summer. Those recruits are point guard Josiah Turner, guard-wing Nick Johnson, power forward Sidiki Johnson and post player Angelo Chol.

Because of the UA’s self-imposed penalty in 2011-12, following alleged improprieties involved with the elite youth basketball tournament Cactus Classic toward the end of the Lute Olson era, Miller has only 12 scholarship spots next year, instead of the customary 13.

Bejarano’s likely transfer, Derrick Williams‘ decision to leave for the NBA after his sophomore season, and Jamelle Horne exhausting his eligibility means these nine current players are under scholarship (classification is for the 2011-12 season):

Guards (4): Kyle Fogg, Sr.; Lamont “MoMo” Jones, Jr.; Brendon Lavender, Sr.; and Jordin Mayes, Soph.

Forwards (3): Solomon Hill, Jr.; Kevin Parrom, Jr.; and Jesse Perry, Sr.

Centers (2): Alex Jacobson, Sr., and Kyryl Natyazhko, Jr.

To allow room for Turner, Nick Johnson, Sidiki Johnson and Chol, one of these nine scholarship spots must be relinquished.

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Derrick Williams could become the first Arizona player to be selected as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft

Derrick Williams, who announced Wednesday that he will enter the 2011 NBA draft and hire an agent, did not win a national player of the year award like former Arizona standouts Steve Kerr, Sean Elliott, Jason Terry and Jason Gardner.

He was not a consensus first-team All-American like Elliott, Mike Bibby and Damon Stoudamire.

He did not lead the Wildcats to a Final Four appearance like Kerr, Elliott, Stoudamire, Khalid Reeves, Miles Simon, Michael Dickerson, Bibby, Richard Jefferson and Jason Gardner.

Despite all these lack of accolades, some would argue Williams is the best player to wear an Arizona uniform, given his amount of production in only a two-year span. Many NBA scouting analysts agree that Williams will be the first player taken in the draft, becoming the first Wildcat with that distinction.

Bibby was the No. 2 pick in 1998 and Elliott the No. 3 in 1989.

In two seasons, Williams averaged 17.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in 69 career appearances (68 starts). He connected on 58.6 percent of his field goal attempts (388-of-662) in that span, a figure that ranks fourth on the UA career field goal percentage list.

He finished his career with 1,227 career points, which ranks 27th on the UA career scoring list. Williams scored more points in his first two seasons as a Wildcat than any other player in school history. He also is tied for seventh on the Arizona career scoring average list (17.8 points a game).

He is sixth on the career free throws list with 405 and seventh on the career free throw attempts list (563). No player in Arizona history averaged more free throw attempts per game than Williams’ average of 8.2 per game.

Elliott finished with a UA-record 2,555 points in his career, which at the time of his departure after four years was also a Pac-10 record. If Williams stayed and maintained his scoring pace, he would have finished with 2,454 points, challenging Elliott’s mark.

Arguably, in a two-year span Williams is the best to wear an Arizona uniform. How about overall, especially if he is selected as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft?

That’s highly debatable, especially considering what many NBA scouts believe is a very weak draft.

Williams obviously belongs among the pantheon of Arizona greats, definitely in the top five, in my opinion, with Elliott, Stoudamire, Bibby and Kerr.