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Marcus Jordan Leading Central Florida to New Heights - San Francisco Chronicle

He begin the absolute fit. So did the school.

After a apathetic and black apprentice division that served as a catalyst, Jordan has led the abrupt and abrupt billow of UCF, which has won its aboriginal 14 games, landing its first-ever Top 20 civic ranking.

The Heir, at atomic for now, is advancing into his own.

The Knights, who comedy in Appointment USA, will go into Saturday night's bold at Houston as one of aloof seven best NCAA Division I basketball teams, but the alone one charting fresh territory.

The added six teams already accept accumulated to win 11 civic titles. UCF -- with Jordan demography centermost date -- is aloof accepting started, orchestrating a beauteous turnaround beneath first-year drillmaster Donnie Jones.

"This has been a lot of fun for all of us,'' Jordan said afore the aggregation larboard Friday for Houston. "I adulation what we're architecture here. This is been absolutely acceptable for everyone.''

Jordan struggled aftermost year afterwards missing best all of the preseason conditioning with a knee injury, but he alternate this division 15 pounds lighter and appreciably added polished, demography the brawl and the administration in the program's fresh beginning.

A few offseason acquaint from his ancestor didn't hurt. He doesn't accept Michael Jordan's astonishing athleticism -- not alike close, but cipher does -- but he has apparent some apparent improvement, and abundant of his father's mentality.

"People ask me a lot what qualities (Marcus Jordan) has that analyze to his father's. Without question, his focus, drive, aggressive spirit, his basketball IQ. He's got all that. He understands how to win."
- UCF drillmaster Donnie Jones "People ask me a lot what qualities he has that analyze to his father's,'' Jones said afterwards a contempo practice. "Without question, his focus, drive, aggressive spirit, his basketball IQ. He's got all that. He understands how to win. He gets that. Those things are adamantine to teach. If you accept those, and the assignment belief he has, you're activity to get better.''

Jordan, a 6-3, 205-pound guard, opened the division by scoring 28 credibility adjoin West Florida. In the aftermost two games, he had 28 credibility adjoin Princeton and 26 adjoin Marshall in the appointment opener.

He is averaging 16.7 credibility -- bifold from his apprentice year -- in aloof 26.8 minutes, while cutting 51 percent from the acreage and 43 percent from 3-point range. He absolute the Knights to that come-from-behind achievement over Marshall by scoring 22 of his 26 credibility afterwards intermission. Eight of his nine acreage goals came on adamantine drives to the basket. And he went to the free-throw band 12 times, demography allegation of the offense.

The aggregation has fabricated the alteration from a deliberate, motion breach to the uptempo, force-the-pace advance that Jones preaches. It's a appearance that has fit the leaner, bigger Jordan well, putting the brawl in his easily to actualize for himself and for others. Although he not often played at point bouncer in the past, either in aerial academy or his aboriginal year at UCF, he is absolute in that position now.

"I adulation demography ascendancy of the game, active the point, accomplishing whatever we need,'' Jordan said. "If I can booty my bold to addition akin one day, either across or in the NBA, that's apparently area I'd accept to play. Right now, I aloof appetite to advice body this program.''

The 14-0 alpha is the best back UCF confused into Division I in 1984. It included acceptable the UCF Holiday Classic, in which Jordan was called Best Valuable Player.

The alpha additionally has afire some newfound and much-needed activity surrounding the program, which has lagged in the past. The alpha has included in-state victories over Florida (Southeastern Conference), Miami (Atlantic Coast Conference) and

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