Jordan's son aims for bigger role at Illinois

Frazier injured his shooting hand in practice just before the Big Ten tournament opened and didn't play again. In his absence, the Illini went 1-2, including the first-round loss to 12th-seeded Western Kentucky that sent fifth-seeded Illinois home from the NCAAs.

Jordan saw Frazier hurt the hand, and he figured, even after doctors operated on it, that there was no way would the guy who played hurt so often would end his career on the bench.

"I've seen him get a broken nose and still come back," Jordan said. "I never had any doubt that he was going to play. But it was obviously worse than he thought."

Without Frazier, Illinois looked lost for most of the western Kentucky loss, and had no defensive answer for Purdue's Robbie Hummel in the 66-56 defeat that ushered the Illini out of the conference tournament.

But Weber got a glimpse of what he'd like to see from Jordan in Illinois' 60-50 win over Michigan in the Illini's Big Ten tournament opener.

Mike Davis stole the headlines with 22 points, but, Illinois' defense - best in the Big Ten - made the difference.

"I thought the Michigan game was probably one of (Jordan's) shining moments," Weber said. "I think you saw he can be a pest on defense."

Since he came to Illinois in 2007, Jordan has closely watched and listened to Frazier, the player Illini coaches have told him he's most like: defensive, athletic, a quiet leader with a good basketball IQ.

"He's basically been a coach on the floor," Jordan said.

"We're probably going to need somebody like him, like he was, next year," he said. "They've been talking to me about that, and I've been definitely looking to follow after him."

Jordan and those who've known him since high school think he'll be able to fill some of the leadership vacuum left by Frazier's graduation.

They point out that Jordan captained his high school team for three years.

Mahoney, the Loyola athletic director, says Jordan has a "blue-collar, lunch pail" work ethic.

While saying he feels like just one of the guys on Weber's roster, Jordan knows that by virtue of his last name he's not just another kid who can dribble and shoot.

While Jordan says he gets no more attention than any other Illini player when he goes out in Champaign-Urbana, he is, no matter how many minutes he plays, the most recognizable name on the team when Illinois goes on the road. When Illinois practiced in Portland for its NCAA game last month, more kids lined up for his autograph than for anyone else on the court.

And Jordan, a psychology major, says he hopes to go for his first internship soon - with Nike, a company his dad has deep ties to.

And of course there's his dad, a source of steady advice after just about every game.

"He'll send me a text, 'Call me when you get to the hotel,"' Jordan said.

"And he's definitely not scared to tell me what's on his mind," he said with a laugh. "He probably knows my game better than I do. ... He's been watching me play since forever."