Jimmy Chitwood
Hall of Famer
"Share" Jordan
Marist's Jared Jordan isn't a household name, but he should be. Unlike the more famous "Air" version of his surname, Jared is more about the express delivery. He leads the nation in assists per game (8.5), making a bid to become the first player in Division I history to repeat as the nation's assists leader since Southern University's Avery Johnson won it back-to-back in 86-87 and 87-88.
Those who know of the lightly publicized, but highly gifted, point guard usually compare him to Steve Nash. It's an easy comparison because both are white guys about the same size, they both have the knack for getting the ball to their teammates for easy scores, and both are often questioned about their athleticism. But while it is a flattering comparison to Jordan (Nash should win his third consecutive NBA MVP trophy this year), it's not entirely accurate.
A closer look at Jared's game reveals it to be much more like Jason Kidd's, at least right now. Neither are great shooters (Jared is shooting 45% from the floor, 31% from the 3-point line, and just 68% from the charity stripe), but they are very quick and strong enough to drive to the basket and finish despite contact. The other big similarity is their knack for rebounding.
Kidd is well known for his penchant for triple-doubles, but at just 6'2" Jared is also a stat stuffer in numerous categories. He has two triple-doubles this year to go along with seven double-doubles, and until the last two games, Jordan belonged to a highly select group of Division I basketball players who lead their teams in scoring, assists, and rebounding.
Jared still leads the Red Foxes in scoring (17.8) and assists (8.5), but is now second in rebounding with 6.0 boards per (just .3 behind the team leader). He also leads Marist in steals with 38.
One more comparison to Nash should be pointed out, however, because both men are seemingly tireless. Jordan leads the nation in minutes played, averaging 37.6 out of a possible 40.
Jared has done all this while helping Marist in the most important category of all: the win column. Jordan has led the Red Foxes to their first 20-plus win season in over a decade. The likely MAAC Player of the Year has his team sitting atop their conference, and his play is finally starting to garner some much-deserved recognition.
Jared has been named a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, an honor presented annually to the nation's top collegiate point guard. Despite the production, though, Jared is barely making a blip on any NBA draft board's according to many NBA Draft sites. Which begs the question, what exactly are those guys looking for?
The 2007 Bob Cousy Award presented by The Hartford winner will be announced at the NCAA Men's Final Four in Atlanta, Georgia on Monday April 2.
Marist's Jared Jordan isn't a household name, but he should be. Unlike the more famous "Air" version of his surname, Jared is more about the express delivery. He leads the nation in assists per game (8.5), making a bid to become the first player in Division I history to repeat as the nation's assists leader since Southern University's Avery Johnson won it back-to-back in 86-87 and 87-88.
Those who know of the lightly publicized, but highly gifted, point guard usually compare him to Steve Nash. It's an easy comparison because both are white guys about the same size, they both have the knack for getting the ball to their teammates for easy scores, and both are often questioned about their athleticism. But while it is a flattering comparison to Jordan (Nash should win his third consecutive NBA MVP trophy this year), it's not entirely accurate.
A closer look at Jared's game reveals it to be much more like Jason Kidd's, at least right now. Neither are great shooters (Jared is shooting 45% from the floor, 31% from the 3-point line, and just 68% from the charity stripe), but they are very quick and strong enough to drive to the basket and finish despite contact. The other big similarity is their knack for rebounding.
Kidd is well known for his penchant for triple-doubles, but at just 6'2" Jared is also a stat stuffer in numerous categories. He has two triple-doubles this year to go along with seven double-doubles, and until the last two games, Jordan belonged to a highly select group of Division I basketball players who lead their teams in scoring, assists, and rebounding.
Jared still leads the Red Foxes in scoring (17.8) and assists (8.5), but is now second in rebounding with 6.0 boards per (just .3 behind the team leader). He also leads Marist in steals with 38.
One more comparison to Nash should be pointed out, however, because both men are seemingly tireless. Jordan leads the nation in minutes played, averaging 37.6 out of a possible 40.
Jared has done all this while helping Marist in the most important category of all: the win column. Jordan has led the Red Foxes to their first 20-plus win season in over a decade. The likely MAAC Player of the Year has his team sitting atop their conference, and his play is finally starting to garner some much-deserved recognition.
Jared has been named a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, an honor presented annually to the nation's top collegiate point guard. Despite the production, though, Jared is barely making a blip on any NBA draft board's according to many NBA Draft sites. Which begs the question, what exactly are those guys looking for?
The 2007 Bob Cousy Award presented by The Hartford winner will be announced at the NCAA Men's Final Four in Atlanta, Georgia on Monday April 2.
