The official theme parks of  Deep Creek Alumni

Basketball

2007-08 SEASON
Boys Basketball
#1 Ranked Hornets

2005-06 SEASON
Boys 05-06 Southeastern Tournament Champions
Mike Scott ~ 1st Team All-Tidewater
Mike Scott Tournament MVP
Hornets' OT thriller over N. River proves to season's only crown.


Mike Scott

Former Deep Creek star Jordan is learning ropes from one of the best
By LOU MISSELHORN, The Virginian-Pilot © December 25, 2003

PHILADELPHIA — Dawn Staley rocks onto her toes, chewing gum at a fast-break pace. Her eyes scan the court, locking on Cynthia Jordan. “C.J.!’’ the Temple University women’s basketball coach shouts, her arms stabbing the air at a recent practice. “You need to get your team a better shot!” minutes later, Staley is taking the former Deep Creek star down low again. “C.J.! You gotta talk!” Staley’s critiques aren’t always music to Jordan’s ears, but they are a big reason why the 5-foot-7 junior came to Temple three years ago — to learn from one of the best and toughest female point guards ever. “Discipline, C.J.! Discipline!’’ Staley, the former University of Virginia All-American and gold-medal Olympian, describes playing the point for her as “one of the toughest jobs there is.’’ Now, the starting job belongs to Jordan. She’s the extension of her coach, who is still a premier point guard in the WNBA. “I’m up for the challenge,’’ Jordan said calmly. “I just have to stay confident.’’ In Temple’s wins over Florida International and East Tennessee State, Jordan had 27 points and 13 assists while committing only four turnovers. She scored 19 points and had only one turnover in the Owls’ 86-82 overtime win over Kentucky. Her 3-pointer sent the game into overtime. But then, in Temple’s 78-40 loss to Michigan State, Jordan picked up two quick fouls and finished with five points and no assists. “She’s a work in progress,’’ Staley says. Jordan smiles at her coach’s assessment. “I’ve always been a work in progress,” says Jordan, who is averaging 11.0 points, 4.3 assists and only 1.7 turnovers per game for the 3-4 Owls. “I don’t see it as a negative. She’s just trying to make me the best person and player.” The tough-love approach took some getting used to, though. As a freshman, Jordan says, she felt as if she were being singled out “100 times a practice.” Stop the fancy moves. Run the offense right. Stay under control. She heard it all. The lightning-quick Jordan didn’t expect the instant success she enjoyed in high school, when she averaged 15.1 points a game as a senior and was named Virginia’s High School Girls Player of the Year by Gatorade and Scholastic Coach and Athletic Director Magazine. But what frustrated her was the lack of playing time at Temple. How could she prove what kind of player she was if she didn’t get into the game? Be patient; your time will come, Dianne Palmer told her daughter. The two speak almost daily. When Jordan was a freshman, Palmer came to all but a handful of games — whether her daughter played or not. Last year, her stepfather, James Palmer, an air-traffic controller, relocated to Philadelphia International Airport for the basketball season to see Jordan come off the bench to score 6.4 points per game while playing the point and shooting guard positions. “That did a lot for me,” Jordan says. “That showed me a lot of support.” Another thing Dianne Palmer reminded her daughter: Remember your studies. Jordan has. She’s on schedule to graduate a year early and begin a master’s program during her senior year. In the meantime, Jordan has become a better student of the game. She’s watched hours of game tape, even inviting Staley to offer critiques. When Jordan remained in Philadelphia last summer to take classes, she worked on her game, forcing herself to become a more vocal floor leader, like her boisterous coach. And each season, Jordan has come back in better shape. “C.J.’s done a great job adapting,”’ said Stacey Smalls, the senior point guard on last year’s club. “Coach Staley can be intense, and she expects a lot.’’ “But C.J. knows what to expect.” And that’s lots of playing time and plenty of visits from Mom. Dianne Palmer said she intends to make every home game, leaving her job at an export business to make the long ride to Philly for tipoff. Then it’s back to Chesapeake for a few hours of sleep before the next day of work. It’s exactly 287 miles from her doorstep to the Liacouras Center in North Philadelphia, Palmer says. Palmer will get a break on Sunday when Temple visits the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. “I’m used to it,” Palmer says of the travel. “Anything to support her, I’ll be there.” “She’s excited about this year and getting more playing time.” And so is Jordan’s biggest critic. “This is her opportunity,” Staley says. “I think some of that getting on her has paid off. I’m not yelling at her as much as I used to.”


BOYS BASKETBALL COACH IS CREEK ALUMNI

LEROY RICKS
CLASS OF 1991


2000-01 SEASON