2K Sports Preseason All-American Team: Jordan McRae
Words. Jason Jordan
Photo. SavannahNow.com
Don’t get him wrong, Jordan McRae is honored.
He knows that he’s fortunate and he’s appreciative, but when he first got the news that he’d been picked to play in the World Basketball Tournament in Douai, France from June 8-15 with the 2K Sports Preseason All-American Team, McRae, a 6-5 shooting guard, immediately saw it as an opportunity to win on a lot of different levels. “I’m going overseas to play with some of the best kids in the country,” says McRae. “I don’t think about this a lot, but I would like to be ranked higher on most rankings. I think that this could be an opportunity to do that.”
Especially during the intrasquad scrimmages.
McRae’s strongest asset is his athletic ability, and he figures that playing against players who, in some cases, are more athletic than him will only help him to improve. “We’ve got guys like Josh Selby and Jared Sullinger, and a bunch of different guys coming along to France,” says McRae. “Just playing with all of those athletic players will help me. I’m looking forward to playing with all of them.”
On Sept. 20, McRae, who hails from Liberty County High School in Hinesville, Ga., picked Tennessee over Xavier, Cincinnati, Miami, South Carolina and Georgia. Selby, a 6-2 combo guard from Lake Clifton-Eastern High School in Maryland, committed to the Vols on the same day.
“That’s the part I’m really looking forward to, just getting to know Josh better on and off the court,” says McRae. “We’re gonna be teammates for four years at Tennessee and I’m hoping we can build some chemistry together on the court. That’s only gonna help us at the next level. I played against him at a few tournaments last summer, but this will be our first time playing together. He’s real good. I think that the best thing about his game is that he really makes his teammates better. The games are gonna be real competitive with us teaming up. I’m ready for that.”
Still, at least for McRae, the trip won’t be all about jump shots and dunks. He’s looking forward to the tourist aspect as well. “I come from a small town in Georgia,” he said. “I have never been overseas. I just want to see France. I’m real exited about it. I don’t even know what to look for, but it’s gonna be fun. I’ve gotta bring my iPod because it’s gonna be a long flight. Oh, and my DVD player. It’s gonna be a lot of fun. I’m ready to go now.”
2K SPORTS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN TEAM
Joshua Hairston