Eric Gordon

Infobox NBA Player
name = Eric Gordon


position = Shooting Guard
height_ft = 6
height_in = 4
weight_lb = 222
league = NBA
team = Los Angeles Clippers
number = 10
nationality = USA
birth_date = birth date and age|1988|12|25
birth_place = Indianapolis, Indiana
highschool = North Central
college = Indiana
draft = 7th overall
draft_year = 2008
draft_team = Los Angeles Clippers
career_start = 2008
former_teams =
awards = Big Ten Freshman of the Year (2008)
First Team All-Big Ten (2008)
2008 Associated Press Third Team All-American

Eric Gordon, Jr. (born December 25 1988 in Indianapolis, Indiana) [cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=36469|accessdate=2008-02-09|title=Indiana Hoosiers - Eric Gordon] is an American basketball player. He is known, in part, as the subject of a major recruiting battle between the University of Illinois and Indiana University in the spring and summer of 2006; because of Gordon's talent and high level of play that year, his recruitment was the subject of a great deal of media coverage.

Gordon played one season of college basketball at Indiana [ [http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061108/SPORTS0601/61108017 Gordon seals IU deal with signing] ] and was considered one of the top collegiate players in the nation that year. [ [http://www.cstv.com/hoopsodyssey/2007/01/08/ Eric Gordon: Before the Storm] ] Gordon finished his freshman season at IU leading the Big Ten in scoring and tied for 19th in the nation at 21.5 points per game. [cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/leaders?cat=scoring&type=1&groupId=50&seasonType=2&seasonYear=2008|accessdate=2008-02-14|title=NCAA College Basketball Statistics: 2007-2008 Men's Basketball Leaders -- Points]

Gordon entered the 2008 NBA Draft. He was selected 7th overall by the Los Angeles Clippers.

High school career

Gordon played high school basketball at North Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. He led North Central to the Indiana 4A title game his senior year. However, they fell to E'Twaun Moore, Angel Garcia and East Chicago Central. He averaged 29 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 57.0% from the field, 77.9% from the free throw line, and 46.2% from three-point range. Gordon was also named Indiana's "Mr. Basketball" for 2007 as well as a McDonald's All-American.

Recruitment

After making an early verbal commitment in late 2005, Gordon's recruitment was frequently discussed in the summer of 2006. During his junior year of high school, Gordon made a verbal commitment to play basketball for Bruce Weber at the University of Illinois, selecting the Illini over overtures from Duke and Notre Dame. [cite web|title=Illini are starting to reap recruiting rewards|url=http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=39568|accessdate=2008-01-01] Gordon and he="rabjohns_1">cite web|title=How Gordon came to IU|accessdate=2008-02-09|url=http://blogs.indystar.com/recruiting/2006/10/how_gordon_came_to_iu.html]

Communication with Indiana

On February 15, 2006, Sports Illustrated reported that Mike Davis, then the head coach at Indiana University, intended to resign after the 2005-06 season, due in part to a lack of support after the team failed to make the NCAA Tournament in 2004 and 2005. [cite web|title=Seth Davis:Mike Davis out at Indiana|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/seth_davis/02/15/indiana.davis/?cnn=yes|accessdate=2008-01-01] Indiana subsequently hired Kelvin Sampson as the new men's basketball coach in March 2006. [cite web|title=Sampson brings in assistants with Indiana ties|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2407816|accessdate=2008-01-01] Some reporters speculated that Gordon was uninterested in playing at Indiana under Mike Davis because of Davis' lack of success.cite web|title=How Gordon came to IU|accessdate=2008-02-09|url=http://blogs.indystar.com/recruiting/2006/10/how_gordon_came_to_iu.html] Shortly after Sampson was named head coach at Indiana, he hired Jeff Meyer, Eric Gordon Sr.'s college basketball coach and a long time family friend, as an assistant. [cite web|title=Gordon's switch to Indiana highlights hectic week before Midnight Madness|url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/recruiting/basketball/national/2006-10-17-basketball.htm|accessdate=2008-02-14]

During the subsequent offseason, Gordon was recruited by Sampson's staff after Gordon told Sampson he was still interested in Indiana. It was rumored in July 2006 that Gordon had decided to vacate his verbal commitment because of concerns about the strength of Illinois' incoming class, [cite web|url=http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=107419|title=Sifting through summer camp gossip|accessdate=2008-01-01] but Gordon stated that although he was a childhood fan of the Hoosiers and was considering Indiana, he was still committed to Illinois. [cite web|url=http://media.www.dailyillini.com/media/storage/paper736/news/2006/09/28/Sports/Column.Eric.Gordon.Will.He.Wear.Orange.And.Blue.In.2007-2313436.shtml|title=Eric Gordon: Will He Wear Orange and Blue in 2007?|accessdate=2007-12-31] That month, Gordon played with Derrick Rose, another top-5 recruit, in an attempt to convince Rose to join him at Illinois. [cite web|url=http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/jul/07/keegan_chicagoan_targeted_self/?sports|title=Keegan: Chicagoan targeted by Self|accessdate=2008-01-01]

Decommitment and signing

Rumors of an impending decommitment continued into the start of the 2006-07 academic year, fueled in part by Gordon's rise to the top of some services' rankings of high school basketball players. [cite web|url=http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/Samueltstory/tag/EricGordonRecruitingSaga|title=The Eric Gordon Saga|accessdate=2008-01-01] On September 2, 2006, Gordon and Rose made an unofficial visit to Indiana to scrimmage with current Hoosier players, [cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-150868779.html|title=IU hosts potential basketball recruits: Two highly ranked prep players scrimmaged with the team Saturday|accessdate=2008-01-01] fueling further speculation that Gordon would switch his commitment. Six weeks later, on October 13 2006, Eric Sr. announced that his son had officially decided to change his commitment. [cite web|url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/bigten/2006-10-13-indiana-gordon_x.htm?POE=SPOISVA|title=Prep star Eric Gordon changes mind, makes move to Hoosiers|accessdate=2008-01-01] Gordon signed a National Letter of Intent with Indiana on November 8, 2006. [cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/sioncampus/11/08/college/|title=Truth & Rumors: Murdered Miami DL Pata owned gun collection|accessdate=2008-01-01]

Aftermath

Gordon's announcement gave Indiana a very strong 2007 recruiting class, ranked by some analysts as the third-best incoming class in the country. [cite web|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=1154C43BDA6DD6B0&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Gordon could be swing man: Switch from Illini to Hoosiers a huge impact] Kelvin Sampson and Bruce Weber both received criticism from fellow coaches for failing to communicate with one another about Gordon's recruitment. [cite web|url=http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/tct/2006/10/30/0610300151.php|title=Hoosiers-Illini Recruiting Feud a Hot Topic|accessdate=2008-01-01] Although the NCAA does not regulate verbal commitments or the recruitment of orally committed players, some observers have stated that Sampson had acted unethically in recruiting a committed player without first contacting Weber. [cite web|url=http://www.sportsline.com/columns/story/10411974|accessdate=2008-02-09|title=A few wins gets Sampson some cheating immunity]

The timing of the switch was particularly damaging for Illinois, which had expected Gordon to be part of its class and was left without a shooting guard at a time when most other guards had made verbal commitments. [cite web|url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/2006-11-08-signing-day-roundup_x.htm|title=Signing day roundup: Florida, Louisville, Michigan State bring in talent|accessdate=2008-01-01] The Illini recovered remarkably well, receiving a letter of intent from top 100 shooting guard Quinton Watkins of Compton, CA, the following December, [cite web|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-30334793_ITM|title=Eureka! Watkins goes east: Illini recruit will be only 3rd player from Calif. in school history|accessdate=2008-01-01] but, due to NCAA Academic Clearinghouse issues, he would not play for the Illini, eventually deciding to enroll, briefly, at San Diego State. [cite web|url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/recruiting/basketball/national/2007-12-21-basketball.htm|title=Top underclassmen square off at invitational|accessdate=2008-01-01]

Gordon was warmly welcomed by Indiana fans, but received sharp criticism from Illinois fans for the timing of his decommitment and his previous statements about his college destination. Eric Sr. stated in October 2006 that his son had received death threats as a result of his decision, [cite web|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=114EDA77DFE275D8&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Sports culture out of whack|accessdate=2008-01-01] although his son later stated that Illinois fans had only said they did not want the younger Gordon to be successful. [cite web|url=http://www.hoopsusa.com/f_viewtopic.cfm?trnbr=4527|title=Gordon saga costly for Lincoln Park ] On February 7, 2008, Gordon and Indiana played Illinois in Champaign; Gordon and his family were the targets of loud booing and taunting throughout the game, and some witnesses reported that the Gordon parents were hit with ice and orange and blue beads near the game's end. [cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=3236182&sportCat=ncb|accessdate=2008-02-08|title=Illini seethe hatred toward Eric Gordon, but IU wins anyway] Illinois' athletic director, Ron Guenther, apologized for the incident, calling fan behavior "disappointing and intolerable." [cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3237782|accessdate=2008-02-08|title=Illinois apologizes for 'profanity and behavior' aimed at Gordon] Illinois fans were reportedly particularly outraged that the Gordon Family, and its entourage, wore "Got Gordon?" t-shirts, a paean to the Got Milk? campaign, as a superfluous antagonization of heartbroken Illini.Fact|date=June 2008

College career

Gordon finished his freshman season averaging 20.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, making 33.7% of his three-point shots and leading the Big Ten in scoring.cite web | url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=36469 | accessdate = 2008-04-04 | title=Eric Gordon Stats, News, Photos] Gordon was highly effective for Indiana in its first 18 games as the Hoosiers started the season with 17 wins and only one loss. However, he entered into a noticeable shooting slump at the end of the year, [cite web | url = http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/sports/20080313/c3focusside13.art.htm | title = Gordon confident his shooting slump won't last | accessdate=2008-04-04] making only 18.6% of his three-point field goal attempts (13 of 70) after Indiana's February 7th win against Illinois and shooting only 3 of 15 from the field and 0 of 6 from the three point line in the team's loss to Arkansas in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament. [cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=284000048|accessdate=2008-04-04|title=Arkansas vs. Indiana - Recap]

On March 10, 2008 Gordon was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and to the First Team of the Big Ten Conference by the coaches and media, along with his teammate D. J. White.cite web | url = http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080310/SPORTS/80310071 | title = IU's White: conference player of year | publisher = Indianapolis Star | date = 2008-03-10 | accessdate = 2008-03-10]

Professional career

Gordon announced on April 4, 2008 at 4:00pm at the Jewish Community Center that he would enter the 2008 NBA Draft.cite web | url = http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080404/SPORTS0601/804040406 | title = Hoosiers' Gordon to enter NBA draft | publisher = Indianapolis Star | date = 2008-04-04 | accessdate = 2008-04-04] ESPN analyst Chad Ford has ranked Gordon as one of the top ten players in this draft class. [cite web | url = http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2008/index | title = ESPN - 2008 NBA Draft | date=2008-04-04 | accessdate = 2008-04-04] He was drafted with the seventh pick in the 2008 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. Gordon scored 23 points in his first NBA Summer League game in the Las Vegas summer league on the campus of UNLV. Gordon played in two summer league games where he averaged 19 points and 6.5 rebounds. Gordon injured his hamstring July 12 against the Charlotte Bobcats. It was confirmed on July 13, 2008 by the Clippers that Gordon would miss the rest of summer league due to a strained left hamstring. Gordon is represented by Rob Pelinka. [cite web|url=http://www.draftexpress.com/agents/Rob-Pelinka-99/|title=Rob Pelinka|accessdate=2008-07-23|publisher=DraftExpress LLC]

Gordon originally was given his college and high school jersey number of 23, but after the Marcus Camby trade, the number was given to Camby and Gordon took number 10.

References

External links

* [http://iuhoosiers.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/gordon_eric00.html IU player bio]

succession box
title = Indiana Mr. Basketball award
years = 2007
before = Greg Oden
after = Tyler Zeller