At 6-foot-3, York junior Jordan Gray has the type of build that would be well suited for the football field.
Gray laughed when he recalled his brief career. He always played basketball growing up in Chicago’s Roseland neighborhood, but wanted to try football after moving to Elmhurst after the eighth grade. Because of his height, York’s freshmen football coaches tried him out as a receiver.
He had never played football before moving to Elmhurst, but made the team before ever attending a class at York. However, Gray discovered that with his inexperience, it was difficult to put his hand down for a three-point stance as a wide receiver.
“I was so bad,” Gray said.
After playing one season, he opted to pursue his favorite sport of basketball. Now in his first varsity season with the Dukes, his reserve role as a dependable post player keeps expanding when subbing for 6 -5 starter Patrick Grabowski, a senior who missed four weeks earlier this season with a sprained left ankle.
Gray scored six points on three fourth-quarter baskets as the Dukes (13-6) beat Waukegan 61-46 on Monday, Jan. 18, to claim seventh place at the Wheaton Warrenville South fourth annual Martin Luther King tournament. Grabowski scored a team-high 16 points, while all-tournament selection Nick Trapani had 14.
Gray scored in every game during the four-game tournament. He played nearly the entire second half of York’s 49-44 loss to Wheaton Warrenville South earlier Monday.
“(Jordan) got us back in it,” York coach Vince Doran said. “He did a nice job on the glass. He created some scoring opportunities for us.”
With four games in three days, coaches at the tournament went to their bench more often. In his second game on Jan. 16, Gray scored two points on a first-quarter basket.
He is listed as a guard on York’s roster, but Gray is the second tallest player behind Grabowski. The two are rarely on the court at the same time as York tries to exploit its backcourt depth with Trapani, Ryan Camp, Jack Morrissey and Jack Julian.
“I’ve gotten a lot better with … coming off the bench,” Gray said. “I get in there and do my best. I’m always out to help. It’s going well; I’m playing well. I’m glad to be part of the team.”
Gray prefers to stick with basketball now. He came off the bench to score a career-high 13 points in the Dukes’ 78-47 victory over Downers Grove South in the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic semifinals on Dec. 30.
“I’m having a lot of fun,” Gray said. “I have great teammates.”
Twitter @geomwilcox
