In early June, Jordan Wood was afraid she inadvertently disclosed her college choice.
Considered one of the top players in the country throughout her high school career, Wood had become one of the most coveted recruits in the Midwest. Carmel’s 6-foot-5 junior guard can play multiple positions and had attracted attention from nearly every Power Five program.
But due to the coronavirus pandemic, Wood had been unable to make any college visits until the NCAA approved the resumption of normal recruiting on June 1, allowing visits to campuses.
Just one day later, Wood booked a trip to Michigan State.
“When things opened back up, me and my mom thought that my visit to Michigan State was going to give it away because it was my first campus visit,” she said.
Throughout her recruiting, Wood said, she didn’t waver from the belief that Michigan State was the best college for her. She made it official on Monday, giving a verbal commitment to Michigan State women’s basketball coach Suzy Merchant.
Wood, a five-star recruit who was named to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association’s all-state team after averaging 15.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals and a block per game last season, said she chose the Spartans over Pittsburgh and Purdue.
“Since I talked to Michigan State in my freshman year, I’ve always liked the school,” Wood said. “It was a great personality call. Then I got the offer in July of my sophomore year. We talked pretty much once every other week. I fell in love with the school.
“Once I visited this summer, I knew it was home. I wanted to wait a little longer until December to pull the trigger, but I figured why continue and wait longer.”
Wood said one of the main factors in her decision was proximity. She joked that her mother and aunt immediately bought “a lot of Michigan State gear” after her announcement.
“My mom always told me that I could go wherever I wanted because it was my decision,” Wood said. “But I’m really close to my sister, mom and grandmother. Leaving them and going anywhere more than four hours away wasn’t an option.”
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Wood has the rare combination of a center’s height and a point guard’s dribbling prowess and court vision, said Full Package AAU coach Steve Pratt, a prominent trainer in Chicagoland for more than two decades.
Also a Carmel assistant, Pratt has watched Wood’s game evolve over the years. He said he’s coached six McDonald’s All-Americans: Max Christie, Jon Scheyer, Jewell Loyd, Amy Jaeschke, Iman Shumpert and Morgan Valley. Pratt said Wood belongs in that esteemed company.
“You don’t have those combinations come around,” Pratt said. “A lot of people can work on basketball, but she’s got natural gifts. … I can’t even think of a WNBA player who’s a 6-5 guard.
“Jordan’s a playmaker and a willing passer. She shares the ball and likes making plays with the team. She’s not just a one-on-one player. She plays team basketball. … She’s had some injuries slow her down, but she has phenomenal upside.”
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.