Jordan Bell – Update (’13 recruit)

In prepping for this update of Jordan Bell’s recruitment I reread my original article on the ’13 Forward (Jordan Bell Unconventional Superstar). In the original I noted, if maxed out at 6’7 and content to live off put-backs and transition finishes, Bell struck me as a “solid D1 reecruit”. If however, Bell was to hit and or cross 6’9 and could develop a consistent jumper to 12-15 feet, “there’s scary upside here”. According to Bell, he now stands 6’8 1/2 and feels comfortable out to the 15-17 foot range. College ready on the defensive end, Jordan Bell develops into a consistent double-digit scorer and his value skyrockets.

To provide context to my assertion Bell’s ability to consistently impact multiple statistical categories places him in select company, consider the following. For the ’11-12 season, 2 players in the state of California averaged at least 8 Points, 8 Rebounds, 4.5 Blocks, 2 Steals, and 1.5 Assists per game. They were Keonta Vernon of tiny Tulare Union High in the East Yosemite League, and Long Beach Poly’s Jordan Bell. No player at the D1 level, including #1 overall pick Anthony Davis, accomplished the feat. During a recent 20 game stretch with his Compton Magic AAU squad Jordan Bell averaged 7.1 Points, 7.1 Rebounds, and led the session with 64 Blocked shots (15 more than the next closest). His session total of 29 Steals was just 1 behind Magic team leader LJ Westbrook, and his 39 Assists ranked third highest behind only Westbrook’s 44, and the 50 dished out by 4-star AAU and LB Poly teammate Roschon Prince. My guess is Bell asserts himself a bit more for LB Poly in ’12-’13 and cements his standing as a Top 100 recruit (currently #77) of ’13. I look for 10.5-12 Points, 9.5-10.5 Rebounds, 5 Blocks, 3.0-3.5 Assists, and 1.5-2.0 Steals per game out of the soon-to-be senior Forward.

On the recruiting front Jordan Bell makes no bones about it, UConn, despite its APR woes and ’12-’13 post-season ban, is the school to beat. He’s yet to receive the coveted offer, but the Big East squad is the clubhouse leader. Offers were recently extended by Hawaii, Memphis, Nevada, and Wyoming, and a majority of the PAC-12 and rising West Coast power San Diego State are known to covet Bell’s services. Add Texas, Alabama, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, and Notre Dame to the mix and you have the makings of a recruiting battle worth watching. When I asked Bell for a timetable as to the decision he provided more insight than has previously been made public, “Yeah I’m going to start narrowing my list down the end of July and then go on my visits then in late September early October imma make my decision”. Gives the impression Bell is looking to have this wrapped prior to the start of his final season at LB Poly, allowing his focus to train solely on securing a CIF and State championship.