Baker breaks Bears' basketball record
In just his third year, Edmonton-born guard Jordan Baker has become the University of Alberta Golden Bears’ basketball all-time conference rebounding leader.
Baker, a graduate of Harry Ainlay High School, broke Wally Tollestrup’s (1970-75) career conference mark of 569 rebounds earlier this season, despite not being ranked inside the Golden Bear’s top five all-time rebounders prior to the 2011-12 season starting. With 209 rebounds in 20 games this season, Baker now has 633 conference rebounds, including 477 defensive boards, in his three conference seasons in a Golden Bears’ uniform.
The multi-talented Baker, a student in the University of Alberta's School of Business, was one of the top high school recruits in Canada in 2009, but chose to play for the hometown Golden Bears, a program with which his father Doug was a three-time team MVP between 1974 and 1977. In fact, the elder Baker still has a number of team records still attached to his name, and now Jordan has joined his father in the annals of Golden Bears’ basketball history.
Jordan, who was also recruited by the Alberta Golden Bears volleyball program, originally joined the Bears for the 2009-10 season as a point or shooting guard, but has quickly evolved into one of the premier swing guards in all of Canada. At 6’7”, and supremely athletic, Baker has averaged 16.9 points and 9.9 rebounds per game in three years of CIS play. He has also accumulated 217 assists, 125 steals, and 30 blocks. In 2010, he was named the Canada West rookie of the year and a member of the CIS all-rookie team, getting named a conference First Team all-star the following season. He has also played for Canada’s junior national team, and the Developmental National Team, which was coached by Leo Rautins.
This weekend, Baker and the No.8 Golden Bears begin the 2011-12 Canada West conference playoffs with a best-of-three quarter-final series against No.7 ranked UBC Thunderbirds. Game times are 7:00 pm on Friday and Saturday, and 3:00 pm, if necessary, on Sunday.