Recruiting Report: Jordan Pennick (2022)

Things are starting to get back to somewhat normal in the Baltimore high school basketball scene as the MIAA officially tipped off on Wednesday. I was in attendance for the St. Frances/Archbishop Spalding game in a highly anticipated matchup. St. Frances came out on top when the final buzzer sounded, but 2022 Spalding guard Jordan Pennick Jordan Pennick 6'1" | CG Archbishop Spalding | 2022 State MD refused to let his team fall easily as he led the Cavaliers with 25 points and canned five three-pointers in the loss.

Pennick caught eyes this summer with his production as a primary scoring option for Team Choo. The 6-foot combo guard is a legitimate three-level scorer now and has ability to really get going from deep off the catch. Taking on an increased role this summer for Team Choo helped prepare him for what he can expect throughout his junior campaign. 

He hadn’t been on the floor under an official whistle since summer and even though there was rust within his team, being on the court is a blessing within itself.

“It felt really good,” Pennick said as he reflected on taking the floor for the first time this season in his Spalding uniform. “We had a couple slip ups on the court, but it felt good to just get back out there and start building our chemistry back up as a team. I’m not gonna lie, the first three days of practice was really tough for all of us, but Coach Pratt teaches competitive and we’re all competitive, so once we got over that initial hump, it’s been good for everybody.”

Pennick shares the floor with other high-level prospects in his class, but he stood out most with his pace and control that he brought from the guard position.

“Usually what I do is when a new sport comes up, I give myself some time to focus on that sport. We aren’t having a football season this year, so I’ve just been focused on basketball stuff when I’m in the gym.”

Pennick is also a standout on the gridiron. It’s hard to say which one he’s better at considering the improvements he’s made on the hardwood over the last calendar year.

“We really need to work on our defense,” Pennick said following the loss. “We need to talk more and just stay patient. It seemed like a lot of guys were in a rush. It’s our first game and I understand why, but at the same time we have to stay in control of the game and not let everything get away from us.”

As we look forward, Pennick should have multiple 20-point outings in this shortened season. Playing alongside the likes of 2022 Cameron Whitmore Cameron Whitmore 6'7" | PF Archbishop Spalding | 2022 State #30 Nation MD and 2022 CJ Scott CJ Scott 6'4" | SF Archbishop Spalding | 2022 MD helps take the attention off him a bit, but after a stellar opener, don’t be surprised if opposing teams start game planning more towards stopping Pennick.

Following his summer, Pennick received his first offer from DII Chestnut Hill. He also has DIII programs tracking him closely such as Hood and Albright. Missouri State and North Alabama have also reached out to Pennick, but nothing has been consistent on that front. On the football side, he has DII and DIII programs inquiring often. Pennick is open to playing both sports at the next level, but of course every situation offers something different. While he has a handful of programs interested now, I expect this list to grow significantly if he can build off what he did in the Cavaliers’ opening game.