GAME ANALYSIS: That's a start: Quakers fry Rice

Jordan had his finest game at the point in his collegiate career. Michael Jordan has been the Penn point guard since coach Fran Dunphy handed him the reigns early last season. While Jordan was the Quakers' principal ball-handler, his evolution into a college point guard had just begun. Jordan had the ability to make the plays expected of a point guard, but he was still learning how to best use his skills in running Penn's offense. Too often, Jordan would beat his man off the dribble only to face a critical decision of what to do next. As his 80 turnovers to 72 assists last season show, many times that decision was the wrong one. Saturday night, however, Jordan played the finest game of his college career. He was no longer a point guard in title only, as he seemed to adopt the "pass-first, shoot-second" mentality coaches expect from the point. An undersized Quakers team responded by putting on an offensive show orchestrated by Jordan. "He has a very good feel for the game," Rice coach Willis Wilson said. "He knows where the shooters are, and he is unselfish." While the Owls may have towered over the Quakers, it was clear from the beginning that Jordan held the advantage in quickness. In the first half, Jordan consistently beat the Rice defenders off the dribble, slicing to the holes in the Owls' defense. "In the beginning, I saw that they were real aggressive on defense," Jordan said. "My main job is to get in the gaps, and that's what I tried to do." Unlike last year, Jordan decided not to challenge the taller Owls defenders inside after breaking through the first level of the Rice defense. Realizing the Quakers would win the game with their shooting, Jordan consistently swung the ball out to the Penn shooters who spotted up outside. "In the first half," Wilson said, "he did a real good job of breaking down the defense and then penetrating and dishing out." Jordan's drives were made even more effective by the hot shooting of the Quakers early on. Jed Ryan was the recipient of three Jordan assists in the first five minutes of the game. By the time Jordan took a rest with eight minutes left in the half, he had already picked up five assists. Jordan did not even score until under five minutes remained in the half. But in the final three minutes he more than made up for his lack of points. A driving lay-up was followed by two pull-up jumpers, the last coming with no time left on the clock and giving Penn a 40-38 lead at the break. Jordan took only four shots in the half, but made three. "I was very impressed with how he did a good job picking and choosing his shot opportunities," Wilson said. Jordan's shot selection and court savvy could not have been better than in the first six minutes of the second half. Jordan scored three baskets, and assisted on two more three-pointers, accounting for 12 of the 15 points the Quakers used to jump out to an insurmountable 13-point lead. Jordan executed his game plan perfectly. He had set up his passing game in the first half, and in the second half he was ready to assume more of a scoring burden. "I don't think I changed my philosophy," Jordan said. "In the beginning, they were not looking for me to shoot. I think they assumed I would do it the rest of the game, and they started laying off of me." Jordan finished with 21 points and eight assists, which tied his career high. While Jordan has scored more points in previous games, he was primarily a scorer -- not a passer -- in those games. Jordan seemed content to take his shots only when he knew they wouldn't be forced, a sign of a true point guard. While it is difficult to point to one game as a turning point in a career, especially one closer to its beginning than its end, the Rice game could be one for Jordan. As the Owls found out, Jordan can make the entire team more dangerous.

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