Apple Valley freshman phenom guard Tyus Jones has been given medical clearance to play after missing 13 games with a lacerated kidney and will start tonight for the Eagles against Lakeville North, head coach Zach Goring confirmed Tuesday.

Jones, one of the top recruits in the state even as a freshman, was injured in Apple Valley's season-opening victory over St. Louis Park. In his absence, the Eagles have gone 6-7. Leading scorer Tom Schalk (27.1 ppg) also missed three games during that stretch with a sprained ankle.

"Playing without (Jones) initially was kind of a shock to our team," Goring said. "In the big picture it should help our team. We’ll see how we all mix together now."

Jones practiced for the first time since the injury on Monday, and Goring said coaches will monitor his minutes and endurance Tuesday night.

UPDATE: Jones had 10 points in his return, but Lakeville North used a big second-half comeback to take an 83-70 victory over Apple Valley.