Miners game Feb. 2 will feature son of legendary Michael Jordan

By Joe Olvera ©, 2010

Will Michael Jordan come to El Paso the night of February 2, 2011? Jordan, a basketball superstar who won six NBA championships when he was the limelight and the ANALYSIS highlight of the Chicago Bulls, has ample reason to travel to the Sun City – home of the 1966 NCAA Champion Miners – if only to watch his son, Marcus Jordan, take another leap in his already stellar career as a sophomore for the Knights of the University of Central Florida (UCF).

The Miners, led by senior guard Randy Culpepper, will host UCF in their battle for Conference USA supremacy. Although UCF is not at the top of the standings, one never knows what will transpire on any given night. The Miners, meanwhile, are tied for the lead with Memphis – both teams have 4-1 records. Culpepper, a Miner standout since his freshman season was last year’s Conference USA’s Player of the Year, as well as being named an Honorable Mention to the All-American team. Culpepper was also predicted to be this year’s Conference USA Player of the Year.

Jordan is already being touted as the reason for his team’s emergence, being credited with leading the Knights to an overall 14 victories, 4 defeats, although the team has won only one game in conference play. Culpepper, meanwhile, continues to lead the Miners to victory after victory, getting a road win against the Houston Cougars on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011, for an important 57-52 win.

An all-around athlete, Culpepper started out in gymnastics when he was only four, but, turned to basketball as he grew older. Well, he grew older, but not taller. He stands only 6 feet and weighs 165 pounds. Jordan, meanwhile, has more of a basketball body at 6’ 3” 205 pounds.

Of course, the game between the two on Wednesday, Feb. 2 at the Don will not be Culpepper vs. the Knights; nor will it feature Marcus Jordan vs. the Miners. Both teams have outstanding players, and they all will be playing to win. However, it will be a special night with both Culpepper and Marcus Jordan receiving the lion’s share of attention.

Undoubtedly, Miner coach Tim Floyd will downplay the matchup between the two stars. His stance from the very beginning has been that nobody is a star for the Miners, because they all are stars. He has taken it one step further – none of his players has his name pasted on the back of his jersey. “It’s all about the team and the team’s effort,” Floyd has emphasized. Yet, how can Miner fans not notice Culpepper as he slashes his way to the basket to finish it with one of his patented “thunder” dunks.

So, whether Michael Jordan travels to El Paso to see his son play is really not the issue. The issue is will the Miners play up to their full potential, and will Marcus Jordan live up to his star billing as the son of the greatest player who ever donned a uniform. One thing’s for sure – El Paso Miner basketball fans are in for a special night. One other thing is for sure – while it remains to be seen whether Marcus Jordan reaches the stellar heights which his father attained, Randy Culpepper has already proved his worth.