Nap00181
Basketball Jordan

Boys’ Basketball Preview: Jordan Panthers

Photo by John Napalan/Art O’Neill

It’s been a tough couple of seasons for the Jordan boys’ basketball team. Head coach James McDonald is hopeful that this is the year to bounce back from a 6-22 campaign that saw the Panthers finish last in the Moore League, a once-unimaginable occurrence.

“Our expectation for this year is to improve,” said McDonald. “Our goal is to make the playoffs this year after not making them the last two years.”

Jordan only returns two players from last year’s team, but does have more size and more athleticism, and McDonald expects his team to be deeper as well, with hopes of a top four finish in the league.

McDonald’s optimism isn’t misplaced–Jordan will start the year ranked in the CIF-SS Division 4AA poll thanks to an influx of talent.

Imani Herring, Malachi Scott, Shawn Martin, and Ben Pule will be among the team’s key players, according to McDonald.

Girls’ Basketball Preview: Jordan Panthers

Mike Guardabascio
An LBC native, Mike Guardabascio has been covering Long Beach sports professionally for 13 years, with his work published in dozens of Southern California magazines and newspapers. He's won numerous awards for his writing as well as the CIF Southern Section’s Champion For Character Award, and is the author of three books about Long Beach history.
http://The562.org