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Men’s basketball signs Jordan Potts during early signing period
GREENSBORO, N.C.–High school senior Jordan Potts (Columbus, Ohio) has signed a National Letter-of-Intent to play basketball at UNCG, head coach Mike Dement announced on Thursday.
Potts, is a 5-11, 170-pound combo guard at Ohio powerhouse Northland High School.
"We're happy to have Jordan join us," said Dement. "Jordan comes from a great family and excellent high school and AAU programs with winning traditions. He led his AAU team to a national championship last summer, and he's also won a high school state title.
"Jordan is a feisty player, a bulldog, a take over-type guard who does a good job of getting his teammates into the right place at the right time. He's a clutch player and a great competitor."
Ranked as the No. 95 point guard in the Class of 2012 by ESPN.com, Potts enjoyed a stellar summer on the AAU circuit, leading All-Ohio Red to the under-17 national championship in Orlando, Fla. As a junior at Northland, Potts helped lead the Vikings to a state runner-up finish and a 26-2 overall record.
During his junior season, Potts averaged 8.9 points and 2.8 assists per game. He shot 38 percent from 3-point range and made 80 percent of his free throws. Emphasizing his ability to play his best in the biggest moments, Potts scored a season-high 16 points and dished four assists in a state tournament semifinal win over Garfield Heights.
Potts has also helped Northland to three straight City League championships, part of a record five straight titles by the Vikings. Potts was an honorable mention all-district selection last year.
"He's tough as nails," said Northland High boys basketball coach Sean Taylor. "Jordan is a leader on and off the court. He makes my job a lot easier. He's knows what to do and when it needs to be done. Jordan's a coach on the floor and he will not give an inch."
"I'm a competitor," said Potts. "I like to get after it on both ends of the floor and I don't back down from anyone. I think of myself as an all-round player and I like being physical."
Potts has not only played for successful teams, he's played with some of the top players in the country as well. He teamed with current Ohio State star Jared Sullinger as a freshman and sophomore, and last year he played alongside Ohio's Mr. Basketball Trey Burke, currently a freshman at Michigan.
While most coaching staffs find players during the recruiting process, Potts and his family actually found the Spartans on their own.
"Jordan and his family saw us play on TV last season and became interested," said Dement. "They continued to investigate our program and liked what they saw from an academic and basketball opportunity. We watched him play quite a bit over the summer, we liked him, he came for a visit in September and he and his family fell in love with UNCG."
Potts echoed those sentiments.
"I saw the team play some games on ESPN last year and I liked the facility and their style of play," said Potts. "I checked on the internet and saw that UNCG plays a great schedule, and once I visited campus and met the coaches and the players it felt like where I was supposed to be."
With three seniors on the 2011-12 roster in Elhanan Bone, Aaron Brackett and Aloysius Henry, the Spartans will look to add two more players during the spring signing period.
--UNCG--
