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Strengths: Jordan McRae is a long, rangy athlete with elite scoring skills. When he is on, he's unstoppable. He has incredible scoring ability, and what I like to call a 25 foot offensive player, meaning he can do everything and score anywhere on the basketball court offensively. McRae is an explosive athlete, using his great first step and long strides to get to the basket and beat his defender consistently. But what really makes Jordy great is his shooting ability. He can shoot the three ball every which way: Pull up, catch and shoot on drives from others, off ball screens, pick and roll shot opportunities. Despite what seems like an average shooting percentage from 3, he takes so many tough ones it actually is a good percentage, as evidenced by a very solid 50% true shooting percentage. Jordan also has an excellent mid range game and does a great job pulling up, setting his feet and facing the basket for easy shots. He uses his explosiveness to create separation and make tough shots easy. He also is adept at finishing around the rim, and uses a variety of floaters. He has great hang time that lets him get shots over taller defenders. He gets to the FT line at a solid rate and is an excellent free throw shooter. He can ice games at the line. Jordan can also play point guard in a pinch and do an adequate enough job. He is a solid passer for the two guard spot, and is a very good rebounder as a two guard. He also uses his length to close out on shooters and can block shots in traffic in the paint.
Weaknesses: Jordan has improved, but is not a good defender yet. He stands up too straight against his man and can get lost on backside help. He also struggles to fight through pick and rolls with his skinny frame and can get caught too many times switching, at times when he shouldn't. Jordan has solid handles, but too many times gets caught loose with the ball on drives and can get stripped. He also panics when he is pressed full court and makes bad decisions. McRae has improved and gets to the line as a good clip, but sometimes avoid contact when driving and trying to get to the line.
Final Thoughts: Jordan McRae might be the best returning player in the SEC. He's at least the best scorer. Jordan can carry the team at times and when he's hot from outside, he's unstoppable. He gives Tennessee a great scorer from the outside that can create his own shot and is the Vols best three point shooter. He needs to improve his defense to become a complete player, but his rebounding/shot blocking masks his shortcomings as a one on one defender. It also helps he is dynamite offensively and that he can do everything offensively. Expect a more efficient Jordan McRae this year. Last year he had to do too much with the struggles of the PG position and no Jeronne Maymon. Something like 44/39/80 with about 15 points a game and 4 boards a game sounds like a good season for Jordy.
Weaknesses: Jordan has improved, but is not a good defender yet. He stands up too straight against his man and can get lost on backside help. He also struggles to fight through pick and rolls with his skinny frame and can get caught too many times switching, at times when he shouldn't. Jordan has solid handles, but too many times gets caught loose with the ball on drives and can get stripped. He also panics when he is pressed full court and makes bad decisions. McRae has improved and gets to the line as a good clip, but sometimes avoid contact when driving and trying to get to the line.
Final Thoughts: Jordan McRae might be the best returning player in the SEC. He's at least the best scorer. Jordan can carry the team at times and when he's hot from outside, he's unstoppable. He gives Tennessee a great scorer from the outside that can create his own shot and is the Vols best three point shooter. He needs to improve his defense to become a complete player, but his rebounding/shot blocking masks his shortcomings as a one on one defender. It also helps he is dynamite offensively and that he can do everything offensively. Expect a more efficient Jordan McRae this year. Last year he had to do too much with the struggles of the PG position and no Jeronne Maymon. Something like 44/39/80 with about 15 points a game and 4 boards a game sounds like a good season for Jordy.
