Jordan Poole started with the goal of playing Division 1 basketball. Now, he wants much more. Poole, who committed to Michigan on October 23, 2015, has always had the dream of playing in the NCAA. “The goal was to go to college for free, but then schools were calling left and right, so I had a lot of options,” explained Poole. “It’s a blessing. With the pressure of being such a high-profile player, it was fun, interesting, and it made sure that I was never satisfied.”

With the recruiting process far behind him, Poole is thinking bigger and better. Although he won’t start his college career until next year, the 6’5” senior is already looking ahead, saying, “ I want to be the best that I can be, bring home a Big 10 championship, and make a memorable run in the tournament.” he continued. “I also want to break a couple shooting records, try to be the best player possible, and win games for the school.”

 

There is no denying that Michigan is getting a great player in Poole, but landing him was not the easiest feat. With offers from Auburn, Illinois, and his hometown school, Marquette, Poole had plenty of choices to choose from when he made his decision, but in the end, there was only one viable choice. “Mostly, it was about being a family,”  Poole said. “Between the coaching staff, the campus, the home feeling about it, making sure they would take care of me, and the academic factor, it was the clear choice.”

Now that he has the recruiting process behind him, Poole has taken a selfless approach to summer basketball, as he had a solid showing in the Nike EYBL with Mac Irvin Fire. “A lot of kids commit to a school and then get complacent, but playing in the Nike EYBL was a great experience,” he said. “Being in the situation that I’m in right now, that is my goal is to make those around me better.”

 

Poole isn’t only helping others get better on the court, but off the court too. He even has some advice for fellow recruits, as he said, “Don’t be biased towards a school because you may have a ‘dream school’ because there could be a better fit out there.” Poole urged. “I would say to take your time, get a lot of opinions from people, ask coaches, ask family, ask teachers, and take your time with it. If you do that, it won’t be so stressful.”

Despite having the recruiting process completed, Poole has one major change that he will have to adapt to and that is his transfer to La Lumiere(IN) School. Coming from Rufus King(WI) International School, Poole will be joining five-star prospect, Jaren Jackson, at La Lumiere to help them improve upon a tremendous 2015 season that resulted in a national title appearance. “We’ll be playing on the national stage, so I want to see if I can lead the team during my senior year to a national championship," Poole boldly stated. “They got to the championship last year, but I want to try and win the national championship before I get to college.”

 

Between national championship hopes and a future at Michigan, Jordan Poole seems to be doing all the right things to continue to elevate his game. If you haven’t been following him thus far, now would be the time to start, as he has risen into the national spotlight. However, Poole isn’t concerned with his standing in his class, instead, he focuses on what he already has. He sums it up best, saying, “What motivates me is being different. A lot of kids aren’t in the position that I’m in right now or don’t have the same opportunity as me. I need to keep working hard because if you keep working hard then everything will fall into place. I’m just trying to keep a smile on somebody’s face. I’m trying to stand out and be different, so that is what drives me.”