Jordan Blount

Jordan Blount (born January 5, 1997) is an Irish professional basketball player for Força Lleida of the LEB Oro. He played college basketball for UIC.

Jordan Blount
Personal information
Born (1997-01-05) January 5, 1997
Cork
NationalityIrish
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school
College
  • UIC (2017–2020)
NBA draft2020 / Undrafted
Playing career2020–present
PositionSmall forward
Career history
2020Basket Navarra Club
2020Força Lleida
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Ireland
2018 San Marino Team

Early life and career

Growing up on the north side of Cork, Blount was obsessed with basketball from an early age, frequently player in older age groups. At the age of 15, after being tagged the best player Ireland had seen in decades, he moved to England to join the Plymouth Raiders youth team and won the BCS Cup while also playing and getting some minutes with the BBL team. Blount received interest from professional teams such as Real Madrid and Estudiantes but ended up joining Canarias Basketball Academy, as he had the desire to play college basketball in the United States. He was recruited by Georgia Tech although they wanted him to attend a preparatory school. After two years playing with Canarias, Blount enrolled at the SPIRE Academy. He committed to UIC, as he fell in love with the place and the atmosphere. Blount had received a number of D1 offers but said he chose UIC because of his relationships with the staff.[1]

College career

Blount did not play his freshman year at UIC due to some NCAA restraints.[2] As a sophomore, he averaged 6.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.[3] On December 5, 2018, Blount scored a career-high 27 points in a 94-75 win against Illinois State.[4] Blount averaged 9.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game as a junior.[5] He suffered an ACL tear in June 2019 but returned to the court in December 2019.[6] As a senior at UIC, Blount averaged 6.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game.[7] Though he had an additional year of eligibility, he opted to turn professional.[2]

Professional career

On August 14, 2020, Blount signed with Basket Navarra Club of the LEB Plata.[8] After playing in three games, he parted ways with the team.[9] Blount averaged 11.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. On November 17, he signed with Força Lleida of the LEB Oro.[10]

National team career

Blount played for the Irish under-18 basketball team in the 2015 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship Division B and averaged 25.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 2.6 assists per game.[11] He played for the Irish under-20 basketball team at the 2016 FIBA U20 European Championship Division B, averaging 12.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game.[12] Blount represented Ireland at the 2018 FIBA European Championship for Small Countries in San Marino. In four games, he averaged 8.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals per game, helping Ireland win a bronze medal.[13]

Personal life

His father Gary Blount is a basketball referee. Blount's siblings Gareth, Colm and Mollie also play basketball.[6]

References
  1. O'Callaghan, Eoin (January 8, 2018). "'Beautiful hotels, steak dinners - college athletes are treated better than a lot of pros'". The 42. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  2. Doherty, Kieran (11 April 2020). "Cork basketball star Blount ready for the next step after impressing in the States". Echo Live. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  3. Rick, Pat (November 6, 2018). "Game Preview: Notre Dame vs Illinois-Chicago". SCACCHoops.com. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  4. "Ferguson's triple-double, Blount help UIC beat Illinois St". ESPN. Associated Press. December 5, 2018. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  5. Newhouse, Steve (December 13, 2019). "DePaul vs. UIC Game Preview". 247 Sports. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  6. Murphy, Éamonn (March 6, 2020). "Watch: Cork basketball beast Jordan Blount honoured by Chicago college". Echo Live. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  7. "Jordan Blount selected the top Irish playing abroad in last week's games". Eurobasket. March 12, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  8. "Navarra signs Blount just out of college". Eurobasket. August 14, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  9. "Jordan Blount deja de ser jugador de Basket Navarra". Basket Navarra Club (in Spanish). November 4, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  10. "Lleida lands Jordan Blount". Eurobasket. November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  11. "Blount leads Ireland in another return to Europe". FIBA. July 13, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  12. "Jordan BLOUNT". FIBA. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  13. "Blount Helps Ireland Win Bronze at FIBA Championship". UIC Flames. July 1, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
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