By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University sophomore forward Jordan Jenkins (Placentia, CA/Valencia HS) is off to a tremendous start for the Bearcats this season. After playing in only six games and a total of 22 minutes as a freshman last year, Jenkins has started all seven games and is averaging 23.1 minutes per contest.
"Last year, I needed to improve a lot on different aspects of my game. I was also adjusting from playing guard in high school to moving to the forward position. It was also really great to have Bubba (Brandon Luedtke '16) and AB (Alex Brown '16) as the forwards last year to learn from both of their games," Jenkins said. "They were both really great captains and leaders and taught me a lot ... being so successful at what they did."
Jenkins is averaging a team-high 12.3 points per game and also leads the team with 4.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He is shooting a solid 55.1% from the field (27 of 49) and is 7 of 11 (63.6%) from 3-point range. He has converted 25 of 33 free throws (75.8%).
He started the season off in a big way, scoring 18 points and hauling down 10 rebounds in Willamette's 85-81 win over University of Texas-Tyler on Nov. 18. He was 5 of 8 from the field and 7 for 8 at the free throw line.
Three games later, he scored a career-high 19 points against Saint John's University (Minn.). Once again he was 5 of 8 on field goals. He also hit 8 of 10 free throws and grabbed seven boards.
"Jordan did a phenomenal job in the offseason of conditioning his body to become the player he is now," Willamette Head Coach Kip Ioane said.
"Really, the difference from last year to this year was the work that I put in during the summer." Jenkins agreed. "I worked out a lot with my dad and on my own, and focused more on running and agility and getting in better shape, because freshman year that was a lot of the problem. I lifted a lot to turn the weight I had into muscle, because to play inside at the forward spot I had to be a lot stronger. Nico Troplent (Jr., W, Los Angeles, CA/Cathedral HS) actually texted me a lot this summer checking in to see how I was doing and making sure I was staying with it and working out and running."
Jenkins has provided double-digit scoring in five of Willamette's first seven games. In addition to his top two scorign games mentioned above, he earned 12 points against Corban University, 15 points against #5-ranked Whitman College and 10 points versus #8-ranked Whitworth University. His shooting percentage has been above 50% in six of the seven games.
What makes Jenkins especially strong for the Bearcats is his versatility. He can post up inside, take 3-point shots, drive to the hoop, or shoot mid-range jumpers. He works hard on the boards, can dribble the ball when needed, and is good at finding open teammates.
He creates a mismatch for many teams because they must decide between covering him with a post player to limit his inside play or cover him with a guard or forward in hopes of limiting his mid-range and 3-point efforts.
"We recruited him as a ball handler, and with that skill set he is a very difficult matchup for forwards ... add in his size and strength and he is a difficult matchup for guards as well," Ioane noted.
"That versatility has been vital for us during the early part of the season," Ioane said.
Now Jenkins is a starter and a key player of the Bearcats. He's glad to make important contributions to the team.
"It means a lot to be playing so much this year," Jenkins said. "It's always nice to go from a tough, beneficial week of practice with the team, and take all the hard work and chemistry we've built to go out and play on the weekends. We have such a close group of guys that playing with them all the time makes the game really fun.
"Adjusting to the college game has been a slower experience. It took me a while to figure out what I needed to do from the beginning to the end of last year, but Coach Ioane stayed with me and continued to push me in the right direction and that has helped a lot," Jenkins noted. "This past summer, focusing on running and agility has given me the ability to play longer minutes and to be able to run with the guys we play against."
Willamette will return to action on Friday, Dec. 9 against University of La Verne (Calif.) at Cone Field House. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. (PST). Afterward, the Willamette women's team will take on Whittier College (Calif.) at 8 p.m.
