Carmel star Jordan Wood has decided to play college basketball a lot farther from home.
Wood, a 6-foot-5 senior guard/forward who recently reopened her recruitment after a coaching change at Michigan State, signed a national letter of intent to play for Duke on Wednesday afternoon. She had made an official visit Sunday.
“I loved so many things about Duke,” she said. “Duke has one of the most beautiful campuses I’ve visited. It’s filled with wonderful people. Duke academics is superior, and the athletics match that. They have technology to help take you to the next level while also having an amazing coach to learn from.”
Wood will play for Duke coach Kara Lawson, a former All-American at Tennessee and WNBA champion.
“Coach Lawson has done some amazing things in her career,” said Wood’s mother, Tereca. “Jordan is in good hands. Jordan wants to play in the WNBA, so coach Lawson is the best help for that to happen.”
Jordan Wood averaged 14.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocked shots for Carmel last season and was the News-Sun Girls Basketball Player of the Year. She led the Corsairs to the Class 3A state championship during her junior season, and she finished her high school career as Carmel’s all-time leader in points (1,625), assists (337) and blocked shots (127).
Tereca Wood, who saw it all, said it will be hard not watching Jordan play on a regular basis anymore. Her younger daughter, Autumn, is an eighth grader who plans to play volleyball at Carmel.
Jordan Wood had committed to Michigan State in September 2021, but coach Suzy Merchant stepped down in March, citing health issues. Pittsburgh and Purdue were Jordan Wood’s other finalists back in 2021.
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“From the beginning of this recruiting process, I told Jordan, ‘This is your decision,’” Tereca Wood said. “I told her, ‘Wherever you wind up, we will follow you.’ She was thinking in the Midwest because it would be easier for everyone coming out, but she followed her heart.
“It was great seeing her happy the minute she stepped on the Duke campus. She met the entire staff, and I just knew. She was so happy. I haven’t seen her that happy in a couple of months.”
Jordan Wood said she knows she made the right decision.
“It will be tough being away from my family, but we all agreed that it’s the best decision for the future that I want,” she said.
Carmel coach Ben Berg, who has known Jordan Wood since before she attended the school, noted her diverse skill set and ability to play anywhere on the court can overshadow her academics. She has been in his AP Psychology class this school year.
“Duke is a great university,” Berg said. “In some ways, it’s a unique opportunity. Duke is great athletically, for the most part, especially in basketball. It’s also a great institution academically. This is a great opportunity for Jordan. I’m excited for her. She fell on her feet like I knew she would. Sometimes things happen for a reason.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
