Hoops4theSoul

Jun

24

Jeff Jordan’s Maturity in Leaving Illini Hoops

Filed Under On This Day . . ., NBA, Loose Balls

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Former Illini Guard Jeffrey Jordan Jeff and Michael Jordan Jeff Jordan Wow. Illinois junior guard Jeffrey Jordan has decided to leave the Illinios Fighting Illini basketball team, as announced earlier this afternoon in a press release.

Saying that he was ready to move on from basketball and focus more on his studies and whatever his future may hold, Jordan’s decision is a shocker to say the least.

The son of the greatest basketball player to ever play the game, Jordan was nowhere near the talent of Michael. Yet he played the game hard, and for the most part did more than anyone would have expected during his two seasons on the U-of-I hoops squad.

After coming to Illinois as a preferred walk-on (meaning that he had a spot on the team but not a scholarship), Jordan earned a free ride near the end of his sophomore season with steady play off the bench and solid defense.

It appeared that Jordan had a shot to get some more minutes next season with defensive specialist Chester Frazier graduated.

Illini Head Coach Bruce Weber loved Jordan’s work effort on and off the floor and seemed to be grooming him to be the next Frazier, that is a player known for affecting games on defense as opposed to on offense.

I have to admit that I was terrified by the idea of Jordan getting more minutes next season.

In all reality, he was a spot player who could give you a few solid minutes here and there, especially on defense.

In terms of at least keeping the opposing defense honest, Jordan did not bring much to the table, and the Illini were pretty much going 4-on-5 with him on offense.

Just being honest, that’s what Jordan was a Division-I college player. It would not have been fair to Jordan or the team to expect him to develop into what the very limited and often maligned Frazier turned out to be: a glue guy on the court and “surrogate” coach off of it.

Still, Jordan gets a lot of credit for what he accomplished at Illinois.

After mostly getting recruited by mid-major, D-1 schools, Jordan’s decision to attend Illinois was shocking and seemed more of a public relations move (a great one in that) for the basketball program.

To Jordan’s credit, he took his role on the team seriously and did not act as if anything should be given to him because his dad was #23.

Rather, he became a valuable contributor for Illinois.

Jordan took advantage of an Illini team that lacked depth and talent, and became a more than respectable defensive substitute.

He always played hard and with focus, something that more talented juniors Demetri McCamey and Mike Davis need to improve on and could have learned from him.

Jordan did a nice job at times in terms of steadying and running the offense, but when the offensively-challenged Illini were in need of points and he was on the court, they were at a big disadvantage.

Still, he had a few bright spots on offense, including this amazing steal and basket against eventual National Finalist Michigan State (see 0:58 of video).

Despite his obvious limitations in height and a lack of a jumper, Jordan had a steadying influence on this team.

He very well could have been a valuable guy off the bench for those spot defensive minutes again next season

If that what his role was going to be on this team, the Illini could have done much worse than Jeff Jordan.

If he was expected to run the Illini offense for a lot of minutes, they were going to be in big trouble.

With a bunch of talent coming in at the guard position with Brandon Paul, Joseph Bertrand and the guy I’m really excited about, D.J. Richardson, Illinois didn’t need to groom Jordan to be another Frazier.

As good of a defensive player and leader Frazier was, he was one of the most limited players to play for Illinois.

As much as I love Weber, the Illini have severely lacked the talent of teams past.

The fact that Illinois has done so well without the talent and with limited players like Frazier and Trent Meacham is a testament to just how good of a coach, teacher of fundamentals and molder of players Weber is.

Just look how far along Jordan came in two years.

In coming to his decision to leave the basketball team and focus on life as a student at Illinois, Jordan probably saw some of the writing on the wall.

Illinois is going to be loaded the next two seasons, and he could have realistically been the team’s sixth guard if the Illini’s talented recruits panned out according to everyone’s expectations.

What else did Jordan have to prove?

He already did more at Illinois than people thought him capable of.

Jordan was more than Michael Jordan’s kid; he was a hard-worker who could be very effective at what he did best (defense) when allowed to focus on that aspect of his game.

He earned a scholarship not because he was Jordan’s son but because of his work ethic.

Yet, in all honesty again, he would not have been at Illinois as a basketball player if he was not Michael Jordan’s kid. But the way Jordan accepted his role on the team and prepared makes this point easily worth dismissing.

For a person in his early twenties, Jordan had the foresight to know that he was not going to be a pro basketball player like his Dad.

He made a tough yet very respectable decision to call it a career and focus on his studies and future.

How many of us could have made such a bold decision at that time of our lives?

And if you think you could, could you have made such a decision when your father was the greatest basketball player of all time?

Maybe, maybe not.

The point is Jeff Jordan showed that he is his own man with this decision, even after proving that he could play in the Big Ten.

Sure, I will miss seeing Michael Jordan here and there at Assembly Hall.

But surprisingly more so, I will miss his son, who gained the respect of a lot of people with his work ethic on the court and his grasp of the bigger picture off of it.

Best of luck to Jordan as he continues his education at the U-of-I.

Hopefully, he won’t be a stranger to the team and the Hall.

And if he has a change of heart, I know Weber and Illini fans will welcome him back with open arms.

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