Jordan Black left Pittston Area after losing in the PIAA District 2 Class 3A championships last March. His claim to fame lies in what he did in an upset of Crestwood in the opening round of the tournament.
In a 42-39 upset of the fourth-seed Comets, Black had two breakaway dunks to help the 13-seed Patriots earn the win. And, although the Patriots were bounced by West Scranton in their next game, the Pittston Area graduate is continuing to impress in the college ranks.
Black, of Duryea, has started 10 games this season for Luzerne County Community College in the National Junior College Athletic Association, a Division 3 entity. The Trailblazers are currently 7-12 overall and 3-6 in conference play.
“It’s a lot different than high school,” the LCCC freshman said. “There is a lot of tough competition and it’s difficult to navigate at times.”
Black led the Patriots in scoring and rebounding in his senior season and was named a Wyoming Valley Conference Coaches Association Division 1 second team all-star.
In 18 games this season, while starting 10, Black is averaging just over five points per contest for the Trailblazers.
Head coach Michael Latrella has been impressed with the freshman so far this season. LCCC has asked Black to play his natural forward position, but at 6 feet, 5 inches, he’s usually matched up with some larger opponents.
“He’s really improved as the season has gone on,” the coach said. “I recruited him very hard and watching him at Pittston Area, he did a fantastic job.”
So far, Black has transitioned into LCCC’s big man and Latrella likes having him post up with his back away from the basket. However, Black has the ability to step away from the hoop and get some mid-range shots away.
Against Lehigh Carbon Community College last week, Black had his first career double-double, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds in a 98-86 loss. That was Black’s third double-digit performance of the season. He scored 15 points in a loss to Thaddeus Stevens Tech and 11 points in a win over Bucks County back in November.
He’s averaging nine points per game in his last three contests.
“It took some time for him to adjust to the speed and pace of play,” Latrella said. “This is a very high level of basketball we’re playing.”
Going forward, the LCCC freshman would like to see his post game improve as much as possible. This season, he’s been sharing the court with 2015 Holy Redeemer graduate Len Radziak, who is looking to become LCCC’s third 1,000-point scorer in program history.
Having Radziak there has made the transition easier, Black said.
“I think I’m doing all right,” Black said. “It was a little hard getting into it in the beginning but I’m getting the hang of it now.”
Black is the son of Anthony and Ann Marie Black, of Duryea. He has two siblings, older brother, Aaron, a senior at Temple University, and younger brother, Jacob, a freshman at Pittston Area.
He is currently enrolled in general studies at LCCC with hopes of going into business and owning his own business in the future. Black said he would be remiss if he didn’t mention how much he misses his time at Pittston Area.
The Patriots won the annual McGrane Tournament twice in Black’s tenure at Pittston Area. Those wins, along with wins over Wyoming Area and the win over Crestwood, are his fondest memories.
“I miss playing there so much,” he said. “I wish I could have played another year. We didn’t win a whole lot of games, but there were some big ones.”
