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The lastest basketball buzz in Chicago is that an MJ will be playing basketball elsewhere next season. No, not that MJ... but his son, Marcus. During a recent interview with the Trib, Dad spilled the beans that what had long been rumored was now all but official -- that Marcus Jordan has decided to transfer from Loyola Academy in Wilmette to Whitney Young High School on Chicago's west side for his junior year.
Considered one of the area's top player in the class of 2009, Jordan joins a number of other Division I college prospects on a team that certainly becomes the favorite to win the state title. Jordan will join A.J. Rompza, Chris Colvin, Ahmad Starks and Anthony Johnson in what's very nearly a McDonald's All-American team at one high school.
Already considered one of the elite high school squads nationally, Whitney Young has a national schedule next season that includes games in Kentucky, New Jersey and Michigan against some of the other top teams nationally.
Perhaps Jordan is looking for the higher profile of Whitney Young to improve his odds at landing a college scholarship from a top basketball program -- does he want to follow in Dad's footsteps and play for the Tar Heels? At the least, he'll likely have more options than older brother Jeffrey, who will attempt to "walk on" at Illinois this fall.
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how is this legal again? He obviously doesn't live in chicago (they live in Highland Park). Is he just going to use MJ's address or something?
Or perhaps he is looking for the national exposure. Do you think?
Damn good thing there are scholarships available for this poor kid. It warms my heart to see that this poor young man won't be robbed of an opportunity to get a good education.
Yeah, does MJ live in the city now, or have we opened up our magnet schools to suburbanites?
I think they're selling the High. Park place, so they might be moving to the city. Though I didn't think you could just choose to enroll in a magnet school -- don't you have to lottery in?
this guy is paris hilton in gym shoes. no one would care if his dad weren't the greatest ever.
i wonder if his fans own all the julian lennon albums too.
People would care regardless of who his dad is. Depending on the list - he's the #1-#3 player in the state. It would be big news regardless.
Much like when Kevin Garnett moved here to go to Farragut. That his dad IS MJ, of course makes it more newsworthy.
Kudos on the Julian Lennon comment.
I am not a fan of kids transferring at the drop of a hat, but it is Jordan's right. As I understand it, his dad has at least one place downtown. Therefore, he has the right to enroll in a CPS school. As for getting into Young, the guy on the Sun Times blog said that he heard years ago both Marcus and Jeffery had taken the entrance exam for Young in eighth grade.
It's ashame for Loyola. They have a good program and actually play as a team. In head to head, they're the disciplined team that can not only play with, but beat the best of the CPS. No matter what, Jordan also would have been recruited because of his skill, and of course his name wouldn't take the spotlight off of him.
Loyola is such a good program that one of their alums, a slow white kid named Colin Falls, now of Notre Dame, is one of the premier players in the Big East.
I'm not going to knock a 16-year old kid. But I will disagree with his decision.
There goes the neighborhood!
Hoop Dreams II?
This has pretty much been a done deal the entire school year. Everyone involved in HS basketball new about the transfer. BTW this is done all the time, Jordan will or does have a Chicago residence and it's Mike's right to live anywhere he wants. Whitney Young is a fine school I've been told, so he'll get a great education and will have a better chance at a better college. Marcus is a better prospect than his older brother, so expect a lot of college coaches at those games.
Yup, WY's a better school than Loyola in many respects. Not at all biased over here. I'm excited for them this coming year!
-Whitney Young Alum
Michael Jordan has a place in Chicago forgot where and probably so does his divorced wife.
Go Whitney Young!! Best high school in the city!
-Another (not at all biased) Whitney Young Alum
Yeah, go Dolphins!
-Whitney Young Alum #3
Woodlawnchuck,
I don't know about Loyola beating the best of the CPS, and I apologize in advance for my lack of high school basketball knowledge, but based on the Sun-Times article and weblog and comments, WY is up there in the state, even participating in Nationals. Maybe Loyola is in a totally different division, so if both schools ever had a chance to play one another, then Loyola would upstage Whitney Young, but Loyola's basketball team's performance wasn't mentioned in those particular links.
I was actually really surprised to hear about WY being such a top basketball school, cuz as a product of the CPS, I always knew about its academic excellence, but never about their basketball, which I guess isn't that surprising since I never kept up with any kind of sports anyways. I did know they had a good swimming team though.
I do have to say that even though Whitney Young is one of the top high schools in the city,#1 or #2 depending on how you rank Northside College Prep, it still probably won't beat Loyola in terms of academic rigor I would think. This is the school that a lot of North Shore people send their kids to instead of New Trier. That says a lot.
Congrats to Whitney Young all the same!
Michael Jordan probably pays more in Cook County/Chicago property taxes than all of us combined -- his kid can go wherever he wants with no complaint from me.
Olive,
Loyola Academy is in the storied Catholic League, which doesn't have nearly as much talent as the Public League, but always has the scrappers if you will. I guess I could have clarified that. And what I was referring to was the fact that in the State Playoffs or some of the area holiday tournaments, a lot of CPS schools find themselves squaring off against the Br. Rices, Loyolas, Mt. Carmels, Fenwicks, Leos and St. Rita's of the city. And usually, the Catholics prevail.
Why doesn't his kid go to Hales Franciscan?
There's a billboard on the school grounds [50th & Cottage Grove] that reads "Thank You Michael and Juanita Jordan For Your Contribution"
It is a god-damn shame that a scarce seat is taken at my very hard to get into alma mater and that a deserving kid who parents are not rich now has to go to DuSable or Phillips because Mr. Jordan wants his kid to go to Whitney Young.
And just because noted fornicator Jordan maintained a cat-house in the City, it does not demonstrate roots and committment that makes it o.k. to bump the kids of lifelong residents.