Getting to know Jerome Jordan

University of Tulsa Head Coach Doug Wojcik landed one of the tallest Golden Hurricane prospects in recent history in 6-foot-11 and 225-pound Jamaican-born Jerome Jordan of Florida Air Academy in Melbourne, Florida, when he received Jordan's signed letter-of-intent on Wednesday. Despite playing organized basketball for only three years, Jordan is an athletic and skilled player with tremendous potential.

Even though he has yet to play for a team in the United States, he told the ITS staff that he can't wait until he can play for the University of Tulsa program.

"I'm excited about signing with Tulsa and want to tell the Tulsa fans that I'm looking forward to coming to school there and playing basketball," stated Jordan. "I'm going to work hard and help bring Tulsa basketball back to where it should be."

"I've only been playing organized basketball for three years now, but feel like I have pretty good skills. My biggest strengths at this time are shot-blocking and rebounding, but I also have a jump hook and can face up and hit the short jumper."

Jordan was an unknown prospect when he arrived at Florida Prep Academy during the summer of 2005. Due to an academic transfer rule, he sat out last season, but practiced hard to improve his skills.

"The last time I played organized basketball was at a private school in Kingston, Jamaica, Quality Academics," added Jordan. "Because I didn't play last year, I wasn't recruited very heavily. Besides Tulsa, I took an official visit to Stetson University and was being recruited by St. Bonaventure in New York."

"I visited Tulsa last weekend and decided to sign with Coach Wojcik. I feel Tulsa is a perfect fit for me. I love the overall atmosphere there and really get along with the coaches and the players. I think they're all great."

St. Johns and South Carolina tried to jump in to Jordan's recruitment late, but his visit to the TU campus sealed the deal.

"I really had a fun visit while at Tulsa," he stated. "Charles Ramsdell was my host, and he showed me everything on campus. I met the players and got to play pick-up games with them twice and enjoyed playing with them."

"I also got to spend time with the academic advisor for basketball and although I'm not really sure what I would like to major in, it will probably be in the medical field."

Jordan has a little over two weeks of school left and will make a trip to see his family before he heads to Tulsa over the summer.

"Our school is out on May 12," Jordan concluded. "I plan on going back to Kingston to spend some time with my parents and seventeen year-old sister. After that, I will head to Tulsa in late June. I plan on enrolling in summer school at that time."

"I'm really looking forward to attending Tulsa. Before my visit, Coach Wojcik talked to me about possibly redshirting my freshman year, but I played pretty well against the guys, and Coach Wojcik told me if I worked hard over the summer then I would have a chance to contribute my first year. That's what I'm planning on."

Stay tuned to ITS for an exclusive photo feature of Tulsa's new signees, along with analysis of their on-court skills and abilities.