Jordan Bell isn’t the Ducks top scorer. He’s only scored more than ten points once the entire season. He’s a good rebounder, sure, but for his size he should do a better job than he does. His 6′-9″ frame, combined with his elite athleticism, should certainly warrant more than his 6.9 rebounds per game average. What Bell does have, though, is an uncanny ability to block shots.
Jordan Bell’s rim protecting abilities have helped the Ducks jump to a 12-4 record.
The freshman, a Long Beach, CA native, snapped the Ducks season record for blocks in a season today against Arizona State (previously 51). His eight-block performance against ASU put him among the top five players in all of college basketball in both total blocks and blocks per game. Thanks in large part to Bell’s effort, the Ducks as a team rank in the top 12 in both blocks per game and total blocks as well. Last year the Ducks blocked 113 total shots, however they entered their season’s half way point this year with 91. After Bell’s effort today, that number rose to 99.
It’s not just Bell who is making an impact as a rim protector, though. Freshman Dillon Brooks ranks second on the team, and after today’s game he and Bell combined for 76 of the team’s 99 total blocks. Three of the team’s top five shot blockers are freshman.
Bell’s eight blocks today against ASU were a season high, and his ability to alter shots and keep people out of the lane was a dominating factor in the Ducks’ close 59-56 win.
Along with Brooks, Ahmaad Rorie and Casey Benson, Bell and the rest of this freshman class seem to show enormous promise.
Top photo from Craig Strobeck
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Caleb is a sophomore at the University of Oregon intending to double major in Journalism and Sports Management. He is the Managing Editor for FishDuck.com, along with being a lifetime Saints and San Francisco Giants fan, as Caleb fell in love with sports at a young age and developed that love into a passion for sports analysis. He is looking forward to cheering on the Ducks throughout his career at Oregon, and is always willing to talk sports with any fellow fan.