Today I want to talk about a young lady, I have been wanting to write about for a while sometime. I know she is very talented and I know she has a real desire to compete with the best players. I have watched her from a distance and I have seen her become a better player over the years. But now I hope to see more of her, now I hope to see her grow EVEN MORE and fulfill all her god given talents. I know she can be special and I know she wants to be speical. Sometimes kids like Jordyn Keating just need a little push and the right people to guide them.

I’ve know Jordyn Keating for years now. She has been to NBS in the past, so I was very much a where of her talents. But when she attended NBS in the past, she felt like a 2nd class citizen. It happens to a lot of talented kids who attend NBS. Jordyn like a lot of kids choose to attend other places to train. Places closer, places more attentive to her needs as a player. You can never blame a kid for searching for the right training environment. They are lots of places to choose from. So for the past few years I have watched Jordyn Keating from a distance.

Check out my sophomore season highlights!! ⁦@CoachTinyGreen⁩ ⁦@njbelles⁩ ⁦@DonovanSports⁩ ⁦@GlennJansen11⁩ https://t.co/xo6lG6B34E

— Jordyn Keating (@j_keat35) March 19, 2019

This pass high school season Jordyn Keating had a break out season for Donavan Catholic. She went from a player who saw spot minutes as a freshman to the teams leading scorer. She went from averaging 1.9 points a night to 10.9. She had big nights during the season including a 25 point and 5 rebound game vs Wildwood in the state tournament. She proved that she could preform on a big stage. Her play last year helped Donavan Catholic win 21 games after losing (3) 1000 point scorers. Keating showed last season, she is going to be a problem for years to come.

I had chance to see Jordyn Keating last summer at camp and again this spring, I was very impressed. She was explosive and more importantly played with a edge. She showed a real ability to get shots and free herself for clean looks. Her athleticism was easy to see, it jumps off the page. Keating has a lighting first step and more importantly is not afraid to use her body on both sides of the body. She is clearly a talented and gifted and has a big future. That’s where things get dicey. Because Jordyn Keating upside is big and the question is can she fulfill all this wonderful potential. It’s a question I have been asking myself this question all spring. I called Jordyn after watching her play this spring. It was the first time I had seen her play in a few years. I told her she could be a really good player. I told her she had a chance to be speical. But I also told her that she needed to play against better talent. I told her that she could compete with some of the better players. But she most seek out competition that would challenge her competitive nature.

https://twitter.com/2021Nj/status/1122271712895225857

Jordyn Keating, plays for Coach John Turhan and the Jersey Belles. JT is a hall of fame coach and one of the best coaches in New Jersey. He also has been a successful coach at the college level. So my respect for him is great. He has called me on a number of occasions this spring. He has told me over and over Jordyn Keating is speical. He believes she has D1 potential. But I told JT until I see Jordyn Keating against top competition real competition… I just won’t believe. Then one day I got a text from somebody watching the 2021 Shoreshots vs the Turhan Bells. They said the Belles where up 10 at half time. I was shocked by the score. Afterwards I called JT and he said his team played well. He said Jordyn Keating played really well. The 2021 ShoreShots are basically a who’s who of D1 players. JT said his team just ran out of gas. He hoped they can meet again down the road.

About a week ago JT called me again to remind me how well Jordyn Keating was playing. I reminded JT that Keating has not played stiff enough competition to make that statement. JT then said I will get her to NBS. I said JT “she will never come to NBS” I told him Jordyn did not have a great experience at NBS. I felt, she felt like a 2nd class citizen at NBS. JT said I will get her there. True be told I said OK but did not believe Jordyn would attend NBS. Then I got a text from Jordyn, she asked if she could attend NBS. I told her it’s my program and I can let anyone I want into the program. So she told me she was going to attend NBS. She also told me she was also going to attend after school shooting. I had no expectations!

https://twitter.com/2021Nj/status/1122271712895225857

Too often kids in Ocean County don’t get to play the competition that other kids get to face. Monmouth County is loaded with Top teams and players. They are the measuring stick. But Manchester County proved Ocean has talent as well. In fact the best team in the Shore Conference was Manchester. The Ocean County is stacked with D1 players these days. The county had 3 D1 players sign at colleges, this pass season But those players for the most part trained outside of Ocean County when looking for top competition. So when Jordyn Keating showed up at after school shooting. Then made her way to NBS, I was impressed. I know she was out of her comfort zone. But she had made the move to take on some of the best players.

I watched Jordyn Keating for 5 mins at NBS and wondered, why was this kid not coming to NBS? I saw the sweet jumper and more than anything else, I saw her competitive nature. She clearly wanted to show me and everyone else at NBS, she was not taking a backseat to anyone. It was clear Jordyn Keating is more than capable of taking on the best players in the state. She showed zero fear, handling the ball or using her body on defense and offense. She showed she understood what a good shot was and worked on defense. I saw her fighting with 6’3″ guards and wing players. I saw her staying in front of mega quick D1 guards….later in the week JT call me and said these words…I TOLD YOU SO! Stealing a line out of my play book. Yes I think Jordyn Keating can make that next step as a player, now it’s a matter of what’s next...I SAY BIG.. BIG THINGS.