Jerome Jordan faces tough decision on NBA
Kurt Swafford, Staff Writer
At the end of Wednesday’s game against UCF, chants of “one more year” echoed throughout the Reynolds Center. This of course referred to the fact that Jerome Jordan is about to face a tough decision regarding his future, or lack thereof, at the University of Tulsa.
With the end of season in sight he will soon be faced with two options: return for his senior season or leave school early and enter the NBA draft.
It is easy for TU fans to say that he should stay for another season as it would clearly put the Golden Hurricane in a great position for making the jump to the NCAA tournament. But taking that into consideration, should he stay or go? You can make a good case for both options.
Why enter the draft now:
•Age
Jordan will turn 23-years- old before next season. If he were to return for his senior season he would be 24 before he even got a chance to play at the NBA level. This would be a huge downside for any team drafting him. Complicating this even further is that players Jerome’s size do not typically have long NBA careers anyway due to the health complications that go with being that size. Jordan is certainly more athletic than most players his height, but age is still very much a concern.
•Money
There are not very many 23-year-old athletes that can turn down millions of guaranteed dollars. Depending on what financial situation Jordan’s family is in, it might be very difficult to ignore the sizeable offer that would come with a first or second round NBA draft pick, especially in this economy.
•Ability
Jordan is still a work in progress on the offensive side of the ball, but defensively he is incredibly good. Another year in college would give him an opportunity to improve his offensive skills, but he is running out of things to prove on defense. Not only is he a good shot blocker, but he has also become great at altering shots. It would appear that most of his offensive weaknesses could be solved by gaining weight, which is something he could easily do in an NBA off-season.
Why stay for a senior season:
•Experience
Jordan has only started at the Division I level for two years and did not even play his senior season in high school. Another year of college would be invaluable experience that he would not get while riding a NBA bench. Jerome has improved his play each year in college, so it stands to reason that another season at TU would help his stock significantly. He could put up even better numbers and improve the raw parts of his game that still need improvement.
•Weight
Even though Jerome has put on a lot of weight over the last two years, he is still considered thin for his position. All you have to do is look at how he was dominated physically by OU’s Blake Griffin to see how weight could affect his play at the NBA level. Another year of college would give him another off-season to gain more weight and would give him a chance to prove to the scouts that he can be more physical with his play.
•Degree
One important thing to remember is that NBA teams draft players for both potential and talent. There is no such thing as guaranteed success in the NBA, and drafting him would be considered “taking a chance.” The last thing Jordan wants is to end up a washed up NBA player without a college degree. A degree would give him a safety net in the event that his career in the NBA does not work out.
A look at some of Jordan’s accomplishments show how important he has been to Golden Hurricane basketball.
In 2008 Jordan was selected to the C-USA all defensive team as well as the C-USA all tournament team. He was the Collegiate Basketball Invitational tournament MVP and set the C-USA record for most blocked shots in a season at 143.
On March 5 Jordan was selected, along with junior Ben Uzoh, to the National Association of Basketball Coaches all district team. He was a first team selection. As an all district selection, Jordan is now eligible for the State Farm Coaches’ Division I All-American teams.
Jordan leads the Golden Hurricane this year in scoring averaging 14.7 points per game. He also leads C-USA in field goal percentage (.599), rebounds (9) and blocked shots (2.6).
In the two years Jordan has started at center, TU has advanced to the C-USA tournament losing to the top team in the country. They won the inaugural CBI tournament and are headed to the 2009 C-USA tournament as a second seed with hopes of making a run at the NCAA tournament.
Whether Jordan decides to go pro or stay with TU his impact on TU basketball is undeniable. Jordan has provided a spark of energy and excitement to TU basketball, and TU fans are hoping he decides to stay another year.
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