No Dumars-Jordan, but still USF-UCF

Posted Dec 16, 2009 by Scott Carter

Updated Dec 16, 2009 at 03:40 AM

You know how you plan a weekend trip to the beach and then you get there and it rains the whole time. That’s sort of the way I felt the other day when USF basketball coach Stan Heath announced that freshman G Jordan Dumars was transferring.

In my first month on the USF beat, my favorite story idea was to write an advance for tonight’s USF-UCF basketball game tied to the first college game between the son of Joe Dumars (Jordan) and the son of Michael Jordan (UCF freshman G Marcus Jordan). I was going to talk to both players and set up something with Joe Dumars. Of course, I didn’t like my chances of talking to MJ on the phone, but I thought maybe he’d take a break from the golf course for just a second to discuss his son and the story angle I had. Heck, I’d even let him plug his latest Air Jordans if he wanted.

Before the Bulls won six NBA titles in the 1990s with Jordan, they had to get past Dumars and the Pistons. Dumars was considered the best one-on-one defender of Jordan at one point during his career. I still have an old Sports Illustrated with Dumars and Jordan on the cover somewhere in a box in my garage. (To check out the cover I’m talking about, click here).

Before flying back home from Connecticut after covering the USF-UConn football game weekend before last, I made the half-hour drive from Hartford to Springfield, Mass., to visit the Basketball Hall of Fame. It was the only major professional sports Hall of Fame I had yet to visit, plus MJ was inducted earlier this year and they had a special display for him. They also had a shot of Dumars guarding Jordan.

Perfect! A little extra nugget to add to my story, I thought.

Oh well, we all know how that plan turned out. Marcus Jordan will be in town tonight playing for UCF, but Jordan Dumars is reportedly back home in Michigan contemplating where he’ll transfer.

As for the USF-UCF game, seems there is always a buzz when these schools play, and tonight should be no different. With UCF’s football team playing in the St. Petersburg Bowl this weekend against Rutgers, the Knights are likely to have more support on the road than usual. As for the Bulls, they are 4-1 at home and want to put Sunday’s disappointing loss to Central Michigan in the rearview mirror.

Plus, who knows, maybe MJ will make a surprise visit. When Marcus Jordan opted to attend UCF, it certainly caught many by surprise.

Heath says you can’t buy that kind of publicity for your program.

“Good news is always a positive for a program,’’ Heath said Tuesday. “That name creates a huge buzz, there’s no doubt about it, the greatest player of all-time. For them to have a guy like him, not only on their team with the name, he is a productive player.

“The kid can play.’’

As for the USF-UCF hoops rivalry, Heath has only been around for two of the games, winning in 2007 and losing last year. Overall, USF is 18-5 against the Knights. But with both programs trying to climb the college hoops ladder, Heath likes the game on the schedule.

“We view it as a competitive game and a game of interest,’’ Heath said. “Both teams have good programs and there is interest in Tampa and Orlando when we play each other. I like the game from the standpoint that I know it’s a dangerous game, that they are definitely capable of winning.’’