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'She’s a terrific player.' Geno Auriemma praises former Africentric guard Jordan Horston

Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch
·2 min read
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Geno Auriemma wanted Jordan Horston to choose UConn women's basketball.

Coming out of Columbus Africentric Early College as the No. 1 guard in the 2019 class according to espnW HoopGurlz and ProspectsNation.com, Horston was a hot commodity, someone the UConn women's basketball coach was impressed by even when she chose Tennessee.

“We recruited Jordan and then (it) went all the way down to the end and she chose Tennessee,” Auriemma said, per Knox News. “Those kids (we don’t get) tend to have great games against us.

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“When she’s healthy and on her game, she’s as tough a player to defend as anybody that we play against.”

When Tennessee lost to No. 4 UConn 84-67 at home Thursday, Horston, a senior, showed Auriemma what he was missing, scoring 27 points with seven rebounds, two steals, two blocks and a steal.

“She’s a terrific player. She has a variety of ways to score points. I’m not surprised by anything she does,” Auriemma said.

Jordan Horston showed off against Ohio State in the 2022-23 season opener

When Horston returned home with Tennessee to take on Ohio State in the 2022-23 season opener, she showed off those same skills.

Nov 8, 2022; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Madison Greene (0) takes a shot attempt while being defended by Tennessee Lady Volunteers guard Jordan Horston (25) and Tennessee Lady Volunteers center Tamari Key (20) during the second half of the NCAA Division I women’s basketball game at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Scheller-The Columbus Dispatch

In the Volunteers' 87-75 loss to the Buckeyes, she led the team with 20 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and a steal.

Through 21 games, Horston is averaing 15.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game, shooting a career-high 44% from the field and 30.8% from 3-point range.

After a high school senior season in which she averaged 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists, Horston was a Naismith First-Team All-American and Ohio's Gatorade Player of the Year at Africentric in 2019.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Geno Auriemma praises former Africentric guard Jordan Horston