Featured photo by MTSU Athletics
Story by Calvin White
After missing the last two seasons due to injury, seventh-year senior Jalen Jordan is back practicing for MTSU men’s basketball. Jordan is entering his fourth season with the Blue Raiders and is going to be a valuable addition for head coach Nick McDevitt.
“From a basketball standpoint, he’s played three years of college ball and has never shot below 40 percent from 3-point range. You just can’t have enough guys like him on your team.” McDevitt said of Jordan.
Before donning the MTSU jersey, Jordan spent two seasons at St. Francis of Brooklyn where he averaged 11.1 and 14.8 points per game in his freshman and sophomore seasons respectively.
In his inaugural season at MTSU in 2020-21, Jordan started in 19 of the 20 games he appeared in as a redshirt junior and averaged 9.4 points per game while shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 43.2 percent from 3-point range while eclipsing the career 1,000 point mark. With Jordan back, McDevitt adds a volume scorer on the court and a vocal presence in the locker room.
“He’s just a leader,” McDevitt said. “You always know when he’s in the gym.”
Six new players join MTSU this season, two of them as high school recruits. As a veteran on the team, Jordan is often the most vocal player on the court despite not participating in contact drills yet and has mentored the freshmen on what it takes to be successful in college basketball.
“I would say, ‘Take every day one day at a time,’” Jordan said of his advice to the freshmen. “Every day is going to bring something new for the new guys, but if you take it one day at a time, one step at a time, one dribble at a time, you’re going to learn a lot and I’m here to help everybody.”
Jordan’s first season in Murfreesboro was the COVID season of 2020-21, and since he has missed the last two seasons due to injury, he has never played in front of fans in the Murphy Center. The seventh-year senior is excited to simply be playing basketball again.
“That’s probably what I missed the most from sitting out for two years,” Jordan said. “It’s always tough having to watch people, especially teammates and brothers, do something that you love. But I’ve been doing this for years, and I’m just being patient because I know that when my time comes, it’s going to be worth it.”
The Blue Raiders have contended for a Conference USA championship in the past two seasons. With Jordan back, McDevitt might have the final piece the Blue Raiders need to get over the hump, win a conference championship, and take MTSU back to the NCAA Tournament.
Calvin White is the sports editor for MTSU Sidelines. If you have information for a story, you can email him @wcw3f@mtmail.mtsu.edu. For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com. Also, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @mtsusidelines, or on Twitter @MTSUSidelines.
