University of Tennessee Athletics
Jordan McRae's Fresh Start
February 15, 2012 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 15, 2012
Matt Magill
UTsports.com
Most players strive to be No. 1. Jordan McRae just wanted to get away from it.
It's not that he doesn't want to be the best; he just needed a fresh start. With a uniform number change from 1 to 52, and the arrival of head coach Cuonzo Martin and his staff, McRae got the new opportunity he desired this season.
"I definitely think the fresh start was good for me," McRae said. "This whole staff, they're great for us. This year's staff is much more hands-on. They want to be a part of the things you do. They ask about your family and your day. They push you--when you think you can't go anymore, they make you go more."
With a new lease on his career, McRae moved past his freshman season's struggles and showed considerable gains in every facet of his game. His output is up in the major statistical categories of points, steals, blocks, rebounds and assists.
McRae showed off his considerable potential earlier this year, with 25-point efforts in back-to-back games against Chaminade and Oakland. Never content, he knows he still has a long way to go before he becomes the best.
"I think I've improved a lot, but I'm never satisfied," McRae said. "I have a long, long way to go. I know I need to be more consistent with my game. I have to be more mature about things and keep pushing forward."
This summer, McRae poured in a 45.7-point average in the Pilot Rocky Top League, earning both league MVP honors and the moniker "Money McRae." But McRae defers to the betterment of the team.
"At the beginning of the year, we were scoring points, but we weren't stopping anyone," McRae said. "Now we play defense. We're buying into what Coach Martin says because it works."
Despite the team's transitions this season, McRae sees progress with himself and the team.
"Consistency comes with time," McRae said. "We're all new to the staff, and a lot of us are getting minutes for the first time. I think I can be a great player at times, but I'm trying to get it there all the time. I'm in the gym everyday working on things I'm not good at. I work on things I couldn't do last year. I'm looking to get a lot better in every aspect of the game."
With two more seasons left in his career, McRae already knows exactly what he wants his senior day to be like.
"I want people to say that I was a hard worker and a great student in the classroom," McRae said. "And that I won."
And who knows, maybe McRae will be No. 1 again.
