Basketblog
Jordan meeting with UI coaches
Posted by: Paul Klee
Tuesday, October 6, 2009 7:59 PM
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Jeff Jordan is talking with Illinois coaches about a possible return to the team. He was over at the Illinois basketball offices this afternoon prior to the team's workouts. (No, he didn't go through workouts and hasn't been working with the team since the spring.) The plan right now is to meet again with coaches tonight and throughout the week to figure out where this thing stands. Nothing has been finalized - the junior guard isn't back on the team - but there's at least a mutual interest and they're talking about it.
What do I think? I know the players want him back. They've been "re-recruiting" him since the spring. I think the coaches would like to have him back, and I don't think Jeff would be there if he didn't want to come back. From a basketball standpoint, Jordan would give them an experienced backup point guard, allowing Demetri McCamey and D.J. Richardson to play off the ball at times. That's a plus for Illinois, since they need McCamey to be a scorer, and Richardson, who right now is in line to be the secondary point guard, would be more effective on the wing. It also gives you another perimeter defender, and Bruce Weber can never have enough of those. From a locker room standpoint, he was one of the more popular teammates before he left the team in the spring. And there's only one walk-on in college basketball that makes the ESPN crawl if he returns to his former team. There's always that.
So we'll see what happens, if anything, but that's where it stands for now.
Comments
OMG!!
this gonna put Larumby on suicide watch!!!
somebody needs to check on Larumby every 15 minutes!!!
come back home HeirJordan!!!
Posted by larueisbrumby on October 6, 2009 at 9:16 PM
ROFLMAO!!!
Larumby has to find a way to blame bruce weber for JJ coming back!!!!!
suicide watch is on!!!!!
come back to the gym HeirJordan!!!!
Posted by larueisbrumby on October 6, 2009 at 9:42 PM
Larumby hating on it cuz it means MJ is back at assembly hall!
ROFLMAO!!!
Get to hoopin HeirJordan!!!
Posted by larueisbrumby on October 7, 2009 at 8:21 AM
Paul: from what I've observed and read, Jeff Jordan is a smart, coachable player who is genuinely trying to improve his basketball skills. However, if he was REALLY good, he'd be at North Carolina, his dad's school. I'm fine with Jeff trying to 'play' his way back onto the Illini roster, but frankly, having Jeff return to the Illini is a publicity stunt to get media attention.
I think that Weber needs to get a 'quid pro quo' from Jeff's dad to be an Illini recruiter. After all, when MJ comes to call, who would be able to turn him down? Just a thought.....
Good luck to Bruce and the Illini this coming season...
Posted by bringbacktheChief on October 7, 2009 at 11:33 AM
We should give student athletes the benefit of doubt in cases like this. Jeff's entire life has probably been dominated with basketball-it becomes a culture at an early age, and I'm sure the more he was away from it and objectively thought about it, he decided to take advantage of playing a game that he won't get many chances at being a part of as a player. So no publicity stunt here. Has anyone ever complained about a team having too many point guards??
Posted by will134 on October 7, 2009 at 5:20 PM
Welcome back Jeff! You will be an asset to this year's team.
Posted by LanseJ on October 7, 2009 at 7:19 PM
Haha!!!
Larumby couldnt help himself and had to post in this space!!!!
What a player hater troll wannabe!!!!
We love ya heirjordan!!!!
Posted by larueisbrumby on October 7, 2009 at 10:32 PM
I'm an Illinois fan living in NC. Jeff would receive a lot more support at Illinois than at Chapel Hill.
One has to be a big time star to be noticed at NC.
Posted by ncillini on October 8, 2009 at 1:50 PM
Just so Chester (and all that "energy") doesn't come back.
Posted by CecilColeman on October 8, 2009 at 6:03 PM
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