Former Dunwoody High Basketball Player Transfers to Georgia Tech

Scott Bracco has Nov. 11 circled on his calendar.

That's the Georgia Tech basketball team's season opener against Florida A&M at the Gwinnett Arena, the former Dunwoody High basketball coach's chance to see his former superstar, Pierre Jordan, play his first game since transferring last week to Tech from Florida State.

"I'll be there for his first game," Bracco pledged, adding of Duluth being considerably closer than Tallahassee, Fla., "Twenty-five minutes is a lot easier than five hours."

It's not that Bracco and Jordan haven't kept in touch since the player's graduation from Dunwoody in 2008, after helping the Wildcats win Class AAA championships in 2005 and '06, then reach the quarterfinals in '07 and semifinals in '08. As with most of the 33 players who advanced to play in college in the coach's nine years at Dunwoody, Bracco talks by phone or texts often with Jordan, whether it's the 6-foot point guard calling to boast of a performance or Bracco checking in.

Bracco, now coach at South Gwinnett, saw Florida State play in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament at the Georgia Dome in Jordan's freshman season, though Jordan didn't play because of injury. November, however, will be opportunity to see Jordan play as a graduate student for Tech, after three seasons at Florida State, where this summer he completed his bachelor's degree.

Bracco wasn't surprised Jordan took heavy class loads each summer once on scholarship at Florida State and achieved his bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary social studies in just three years. Doing so, and red-shirting his freshman season, left Jordan still eligible to play two more seasons of basketball while earning a master's degree in building construction and facility management at Tech.

"Pierre is taking complete advantage of his basketball opportunity," Bracco said. "The guy's still playing basketball and working on his master's degree. There aren't too many players doing that.

"He was a sharp student (at Dunwoody), stayed on top of things, did what teachers asked him to do, and did it with a great attitude," Bracco added. "He has a drive to be the best and strives for excellence."

Jordan said the transition to college initially was challenging, but things quickly clicked.

"Waking up at five in the morning, after going bed at midnight, was a lot of hard work," Jordan said. "Going to class, going to study hall, having individual tutors and working out and lifting weights, too, was a lot. You had to do all your assignments and make sure you did all your homework."

Jordan coming to Tech has created immediate buzz, though he averaged only five minutes a game for Florida State and less than a point per outing last season. He played in 39 games at FSU, including 12 ACC games and one NCAA Tournament game. He helped the Seminoles reach the Sweet 16 of the 2011 NCAA tournament and the championship game of the ACC tournament for the first time in school history in 2009.

"We're extremely excited to have Pierre join our Yellow Jacket family," Jackets coach Brian Gregory said. "His experience and maturity, and the fact that he has won at every level, should positively impact our program. We're fortunate to have a student-athlete of Pierre's caliber and character join our team at this time."

Jordan averaged 12 points, six assists, four rebounds and three steals at Dunwoody. His 16-point average as a senior included a team-high 27, including six 3-pointers, in his final game there, a 96-89 state semifinal loss to Carver-Columbus.

"Winning championships was great," Jordan said of his first two seasons at Dunwoody, when he backed up older brother Kierre. "The bond we all had with one another on the court and off the court was great. We acted like brothers."

Jordan hopes to have impact right away at Tech.

"Nothing is given to you in this world for free," he said of competing for a starting role with the Jackets. "I'm going to have to work hard for a spot."