We first watched Jordan at the 2014 Spring NC Phenom 150 camp. The first thing you noticed about him was his length and height. We wrote, “He has a great attitude and an eagerness to learn. He has an ability to make the open shot and affect things going on around the paint. We are eager to see Jordan gain strength, as that comes so will more explosion.” Fast forward to 2015 and the slender built forward has made process in his skill development. First of all, Jordan is an active and aggressive rebounder. He does a good job of securing rebounds with two hands and rarely puts the ball on the floor. Jordan immediately looks for the outlet pass and runs the floor really well. While he still needs to add strength, Jordan is undervalued with his passing skills especially from the high post. He keeps the ball high above his head and has advanced court vision and makes the timely pass. Offensively, he does have a soft shooting touch.
In our 2015 Spring NC 150 camp, Jamie Shaw wrote, “Jordan definitely passes the look test. While still a bit on the slender side, he is a long 6’9 and has the frame of someone who will put on some good weight. Jordan has a good motor on the court, as he is an energetic are rebounder. He has active around the post (deflections and blocked shots). As Jordan continues to develop, his improvement will be predicated around his strength.”
In speaking with his high school coach Brad Sloan, he stated Jordan is a true student athlete. “Jordan sports an impressive 3.5 GPA. One of the best things about Jordan is that he is extremely fundamentally sound, intelligent and very coachable. He has great height at 6’9 but doesn’t neglect boxing out and closing out on his man which can sometimes be overlooked by taller players. Jordan is excellent in pick and roll/pop situations, has good touch out to 15 feet and from the free throw line. He also runs the floor well. Jordan has several low post moves that he utilizes with his back to the basket and can finish with his right and left hands consistently.”
It is crystal clear, with Jordan what you see now is not the finished product. If you’re a stock trader, Jordan is a “future’s buy.” He has the length and height that is coveted by college coaches. While he doesn’t possess a lot of athleticism, he more than makes up for it with his solid fundamentals, high IQ, and advanced understanding of the game. Jordan has the right attitude and it will be his dedication and work ethic in the weight room that will help determine the appropriate collegiate level.