« Men’s Basketball 2013-14

Jordan McRae

School
Tennessee
Position
Guard
Major
Sociology/Criminal Justice
PPG
19.3
RPG
3.4
APG
2.8

Classroom

Jordan earned the right to wear Tennessee’s “Vol Scholar” patch on his jersey during his freshman season after earning a 3.2 GPA that fall. He has maintained good academic standing throughout his time at Tennessee and is on track to graduate this May with a degree in Sociology/Criminal Justice.

Character

Jordan’s character has evolved tremendously during his time at Tennessee. He’ll be the first to tell you that he had a lot of growing up to do when he enrolled as a freshman. In the past two years especially, he has matured into a vocal and emotional leader for his team, and he’s been a model citizen as a member of the campus community. Whether he’s dealing with the media, interacting with fellow students or visiting children at area hospitals, people who encounter him consistently remark about his outgoing, friendly disposition and his trademark smile. As his teammate Josh Richardson stated recently, “He’s not even the same guy he used to be.” The freshman who once felt entitled and acted arrogantly and selfishly is now, as a senior, arguably one of the finest representatives of the University of Tennessee – and that is a credit to his willingness to acknowledge his shortcomings and grow emotionally as a young man. He was voted by his peers as UT’s Male Student-Athlete of the Year for the 2012-13 academic year.

Community

Jordan has been, without fail, at the forefront of the Tennessee basketball program’s community outreach efforts over the past three years. Jordan’s favorite community service events typically benefit children. He does a wonderful job making kids laugh and temporarily forget their ailments when the Vols visit East Tennessee Children’s Hospital and UT Medical Center. He’s one of the most popular guest coaches at the annual “Hoops for Hope” basketball event in west Knoxville that benefits the Down Syndrome Awareness Group of East Tennessee. And for each of the past two summers, he’s led by example when the Vols have spent the day laboring at Knoxville Habitat for Humanity build projects. He’s also served as a finish-line greeter at the Race for the Cure and has spoken to participants at Tennessee Basketball S.H.O.T. Clinics about the importance of doing well in school and respecting your teachers, parents, teammates and coaches.

Competition

Jordan enters his senior season as one of the most dangerous scorers in all of college basketball. A threat to score from anywhere on the court, he also boasts one of the most versatile skill-sets in the nation. Last year, he logged minutes at every position except center. His stellar junior campaign earned him invitations to last summer’s Kevin Durant and LeBron James Skills Academies. Last season, he averaged 19.2 points during conference play to finish as the SEC’s third-leading scorer. He earned first-team All-SEC status from both the league’s head coaches and the Associated Press. McRae finished the season as Tennessee’s team leader in scoring (15.7 ppg), minutes played (33.6 mpg), 3-pointers made (60) and attempted (169) and 3-point percentage (.355) while ranking second in assists (2.0 apg), blocks (0.9 bpg) and steals (0.8 spg). He dropped a career-high 35 points on Georgia in Athens while shooting 8-for-11 from 3-point range, and three mainstream college basketball experts – ESPN’s Jay Bilas and Jimmy Dykes, along with SI.com’s Seth Davis - selected McRae as their choice for SEC Player of the Year. McRae has improved his scoring, rebounding and assists averages - as well as his field-goal, 3-point and free-throw shooting percentages every year during his Tennessee career. He is 171 points shy of joining Tennessee’s “1,000-Point Club.”