Georgia wing player has ASU on his mind
When you play for a premier AAU club such as the Atlanta Celtics, thriving under pressure isn’t a luxury, but a necessity and its leading player Jordan Usher has demonstrated that trait in spades. A productive month of tournaments in July has now brought a different kind of pressure in the form of an intense recruiting process and one where the Sun Devils have made the Canton, GA standout a high priority in the 2017 class.
“I have a good relationship with the whole staff,” Usher said. “I’m very close with Coach Burno who I've known since 8th grade and AC (Anthony Coleman) which I know from adidas. Coach Hurley talks a lot to me on the phone and said that he wanted me since the day they offered me. He hasn’t missed a game in July and has been to all of my games. I like the way he recruits me and he doesn’t like any of the other schools recruiting me (laughs).
“Coach Hurley told me that I’m the primary wing player they want in the 2017 class. He said I can come in and get some minutes possibly. You got a good player like Sam (Cunliffe) who could play two years and then be in the league and he (Hurley) sees me as that type of a player.”
Usher admitted that ever since being offered by ASU he did his research on the Sun Devils’ head coach looking up video clips from Hurley’s playing days at both Duke and the Sacramento Kings.
“Who doesn’t know about Coach Hurley?” Usher rhetorically asked. “I like Coach Hurley because he and I have the same type of intensity.”
The 6-7 210-pound Usher said that his versatility is the primary skill that has caught the collective eye of Arizona State’s staff.
“They said I can play the 1 through 3 positions,” Usher remarked. “They like the way I compete and I can relate to Coach Hurley’s intensity. I can score on all three levels and I’m a good defender. I want to improve my ball handling and be more dominant as a volume scorer and not just come off a screen to shoot the ball.”
During the four adidas gauntlet tournaments this month Usher reported averages of 24 points and ten rebounds per game. Playing at the highest level among his peers is an experience the wing player feels can prepare him for the next level.
“I had a real fun summer and I led in scoring in three of the four sessions we had,” Usher noted. “Last year we had four All-Americans on the team and this year was kind of a down year for us, so I really had to step it up. Being that it was my last year (with the club) I know I had to carry the load and be a leader.
“I was working very hard so I expected to play at this level.”
Usher listed Yale and USC as the schools that are recruiting him the hardest along with ASU and these are the only three schools he plans to visit at this point. DePaul, Kansas State and Texas are some of Usher’s other notable offers.
“I’m real excited to get out there for my visit,” Usher said of Arizona State. “We hadn’t set a date yet so I don’t know yet if I’m coming next month (Usher will start his senior year of high school in a couple of weeks) for the (ASU elite) camp or for a football game.
“I can’t say that one school sticks out more than the rest because I haven’t been to all of the campuses. I plan to take all three visits and I won’t delay the decision after that. I want to go to a place where I have good relationships with the coaches and where I can make an impact. ”
