One of Michael Jordan's sons is Central Florida's leading scorer. The other is unexpectedly leaving the program.
Jeff Jordan, eldest son of the Chicago Bulls legend, will not return to the Knights this semester due to undisclosed "personal reasons," the school announced Saturday evening. Neither Jordan nor Central Florida coach Donnie Jones have gone into greater detail about why the point guard is leaving in the middle of his senior season.
"I thank coach Jones for the opportunity to be a part of the UCF basketball family," Jordan said in a news release. "I wish the team and coaching staff much continued success."
Jordan's decision to leave UCF appears to be the final chapter in the basketball career of a player who grabbed more headlines for his pedigree than his performance.
He turned down scholarship offers from several mid-major schools to walk on at Illinois out of high school. He eventually earned a scholarship and sporadic playing time as a result of his hustle but lacked the size or talent to consistently crack coach Bruce Weber's rotation. Then in May 2010, he opted to transfer to Central Florida in hopes of playing alongside his younger brother Marcus and receiving more consistent playing time.
The Jordan brothers produced an occasional highlight or two this season, but Jeff still didn't make much of an impact. He averaged 2.7 points, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 13 games this season, numbers that had decreased of late since starting point guard A.J. Rompza was reinstated by the NCAA in late December.
The return of Rompza means it's unlikely UCF will miss Jordan much on the court barring injury. The trio of Rompza, Marcus Jordan and forward Keith Clanton hope to build on a solid 12-3 start and propel the Knights into contention for a Conference USA title and an NCAA tournament bid.
