Jordan Blount
Jordan Blount (born 5 January 1997) is an Irish professional basketball player for Neptune of the Irish Super League. He played college basketball for the UIC Flames.

Early life and career
Growing up on the north side of Cork, Blount was obsessed with basketball from an early age, frequently player in older age groups. At the age of 15, he moved to England to join the Plymouth Raiders youth team and won the BCS Cup. Blount received interest from professional teams but ended up joining Canarias Basketball Academy, as he had the desire to play college basketball in the United States. He was recruited by Georgia Tech although they wanted him to attend a preparatory school. After two years playing with Canarias, Blount enrolled at the SPIRE Academy and later committed to UIC.

College career
Blount did not play his freshman year at UIC. As a sophomore, he averaged 6.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. On 5 December 2018, Blount scored a career-high 27 points in a 94-75 win against Illinois State. Blount averaged 9.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game as a junior. He suffered an ACL tear in June 2019 but returned to the court in December 2019. As a senior at UIC, Blount averaged 6.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. Though he had an additional year of eligibility, he opted to turn professional.

Professional career
On 14 August 2020, Blount signed with Basket Navarra Club of the LEB Plata. After playing in three games, he parted ways with the team. Blount averaged 11.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. On 17 November, he signed with Força Lleida of the LEB Oro. Blount averaged 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds per game in four games. He signed with CD Carbajosa of the LEB Plata on 26 January 2021.

In August 2021, Blount signed with Úrvalsdeild karla club Þór Akureyri. He was released in November due to an injury. In December 2021, he joined Sindri for the rest of the 2021–22 season.

Blount played for Neptune in the 2022–23 Irish Super League season and earned All-Star Second Team honours.

National team career
Blount played for the Irish under-18 basketball team in the 2015 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship Division B and averaged 25.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 2.6 assists per game. He played for the Irish under-20 basketball team at the 2016 FIBA U20 European Championship Division B, averaging 12.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. Blount represented Ireland at the 2018 FIBA European Championship for Small Countries in San Marino. In four games, he averaged 8.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals per game, helping Ireland win a bronze medal. Blount participated in the 2021 FIBA European Championship for Small Countries and helped Ireland win gold. He averaged 14.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game and was named to the All-Star Five.

Personal life
His father Gary Blount was an Irish basketball referee and coach. He died in October 2020. Blount's siblings Gareth, Colm and Mollie also play basketball.

References

External links
UIC Flames bio

1997 births
Living people
Irish men's basketball players
Irish expatriate basketball people in Iceland
Irish expatriate basketball people in Spain
Irish expatriate basketball people in the United States
Força Lleida CE players
Forwards (basketball)
Sportspeople from Cork (city)
UIC Flames men's basketball players
Úrvalsdeild karla (basketball) players
Þór Akureyri men's basketball players