Jeff Jordan has a great model for following his heart. On Oct. 6, 1993, his father, NBA legend Michael Jordan, decided to leave a league he built to try his hand at professional baseball.

The elder Jordan made his choice in part to pay homage to his late father, a man that taught him the game.

Fast forward almost 17 years, and the eldest Jordan son has found a calling of another sort. Getting a chance to transfer from Illinois and play with brother Marcus at U. Central Florida was too much to pass up.

Heading down south was such a fit that Jeff Jordan will sit out the 2010-11 season per

NCAA transfer rules in order to get one final season to be a Knight.

A few visits down to the campus last year sparked his interest, and with summer school in full swing, everything has been so far, so good for the transfer.

“It’s great,” Jordan said. “It hasn’t been hard at all fitting in with the guys and fitting in with the students. It’s been great so far.”

No reason to become a Knight was weighed more heavily than the chance to play on the same team once again with his brother.

Jeff last played with Marcus in Jeff’s senior year of high school at Loyola Academy.

“We’ve played together in high school, but it would be totally different playing here,” Jeff Jordan said. “We get to play in a good conference and try to win games, so I’m excited about it.”

The brothers’ new head coach, Donnie Jones, also appreciates the opportunity the

Jordans have before them.

“I think anytime you have family members together, I think that brings back a little pride in competing,” Jones said. “Those guys, when they suit up and compete, it gives them a different edge. I think any time you have an opportunity for brothers to play together, I know it means a lot for them to be out here.”

Even though Jeff’s decision to leave his home state of Illinois centered largely on getting to play with his brother, he also sees great potential for the basketball program under Jones.
With the team in transition just a few months ago, assurances from his brother about the new man leading the charge solidified his move.

“When I heard about it, I was excited,” Jeff said. “My brother told me he was a great coach. “Obviously, I got the chance to meet him and see how great of a guy he was. That automatically clicked in for me and made it even an easier decision for me.”

While the jubilation still lingers in the honeymoon period for UCF and Jeff Jordan, soon the time will come for basketball season.

Certainly the luster will wear off a bit when the transfer has to sit and watch his teammates compete in games.

If you would expect this to break the senior-to-be, think again. Jeff sees a greater role for himself in the season he must sit out.

“I need to just work hard,” Jeff said. “I think that’s what I can offer to the team and playing hard every day. Just trying to improve my game as well as help them improve. That is what I am looking forward to do.”

Jones won’t forget about any of his transfers next year, either. He knows the crucial role they play in the day-to-day workings of a basketball program.

“I think any time you have guys who have been a part of something at a high level,” Jones said, “that is where your team really gets better, when you get depth and have competitive practices.”

In a year’s time, both brothers will have the chance to play in front of the fans on the same floor.

A man who couldn’t be happier for that is their famous father.

“He’s excited,” Jeff said. “He doesn’t have to go to two places all the time now. I am sure he will be at a lot more games here now.”

Growing up, there were a lot of times you could see the Jordan boys on the court together.

Early on, that centered around their one-on-one games against each other.

But their work on the courts centered on teamwork as they got older.

When asked about who might be the better player today, Jeff didn’t really have an answer.

“Growing up, I was bigger than him at first,” he said. “Then we stopped playing after a while and got more serious with working together and working out each other. Growing up, we were really competitive.”

That competitive fire, first honed on courts with his brother growing up, is what Jeff plans to bring to UCF in the next two years.