Maryland, Temple, others have eye on Vaux's Jordan

He's listed as a 6-foot-3 senior point guard, but Kamal Yard said Vaux's Rysheed Jordan is much more.

Instead, Jordan can be anything you want him to be.

"He can be a scorer, a playmaker, a slasher, he can even be a floor general," said Yard, who is the director of Philly Pride, Jordan's AAU team.

For the University of Maryland, Jordan may be lining up to be a pretty nice consolation prize. The Terrapins lost out on heralded Texas twins Andrew and Aaron Harrison Thursday, as they opted for Kentucky.

A 6-foot-3 point guard with tremendous athleticism, Jordan also has offers from St. John's, Syracuse, UCLA, and Temple.

He visited St. John's in September and will head to Syracuse on Oct. 12. He was slated to visit UCLA but had to cancel due to a family illness. He has yet to reschedule.

Along with Jordan, Maryland remains in the mix for point guard Roddy Peters. The 6-foot-4 Peters hails from District Heights, Md., just outside of Washington, D.C. According to ESPN, he is the eighth-ranked point guard in the senior class. Jordan comes in eight spots behind at 16.

Yard wasn't sure what direction the Terrapins would go, but said he wouldn't be surprised if they landed Peters.

Jordan's attraction to Temple is the attraction of home. He lives just west of campus and attends Vaux at 24th and Master Streets.

"It's more than just the Big East," Jordan said. "They were my first offer in the 10th grade."

Another drawing factor to Temple may be the program's licensing agreement with Under Armour.

Like Maryland, the Owls are outfitted by the Baltimore-based apparel company, and Jordan is known to wear Under Armour sneakers. He said on Sunday that he would have no problem wearing them in college.

"His decision won't have anything to due with a product," Yard said. "He wants the best education, the best environment, the best program. That has zero to do with it."

Although it may be difficult to maneuver, Jordan and Imhotep's Brandon Austin have discussed the possibility of going to college together.

"He said he would want to go, but I don't think it can happen," Austin said.

A source said that Austin had inquired of Syracuse coaches about the possibility of playing with Jordan. It wouldn't be unprecedented, as Neumann-Goretti's Rick Jackson and Scoop Jardine pulled it off in 2006 with the Orange.

Austin, a 6-foot-6 forward, is entertaining offers from Georgetown, Providence, Temple, Syracuse, and Connecticut.

Along with being two of the city's top recruits and close friends, Jordan and Austin are tied together through the "Why Not?" movement.

Begun a year ago by former University City player Larry Strand, the phrase has become popular among inner city youth.

It spurred out of a conversation Strand had with Jordan, when he asked him to think about how many kids play basketball and how few garner the attention of college coaches.

"Why not you?" Strand said. "Why not represent?"