Courtesy of GoGriffs.com
Former Canisius center Jordan Heath announced today that he will be joining the Detroit Pistons NBA Summer League team that will compete July 5-11 in Orlando, Fla.
“I’m very excited for this opportunity to compete at the next level,” Heath said. “I worked out for the Pistons and I felt like I was able to hang with the other guys there. Obviously, the time I spent at Canisius helped me develop as a player because I was able to play against bigger guys and better competition. I also had a chance to play with some great teammates too. Everyone there helped me develop my game and helped get me ready for the next level.”
Heath sat out the 2011-12 season after transferring from Roberts Wesleyan College near Rochester, N.Y. In two seasons as a Griff, Heath averaged 9.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 53.3 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from 3-point range. The 6-foot-10, 240-pounder out of Rochester, N.Y., ranked third on the Canisius roster with his 10.5 points per game in 2013-14 and his 5.5 boards per contest ranked second on the team and 16th in the MAAC. He scored in double figures 18 times in his senior year, highlighted by his career-high 28-point effort in a win over Saint Peter’s Dec. 6, 2013. He also pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds for the Blue and Gold in the team’s 85-83 win at Iona Jan. 17.
Heath closed out the 2013-14 season ranked third in the MAAC and 55th in the nation with his 2.1 blocks per game. He had at least one blocked shot in 30 of the team’s 34 contests last season and his 72 blocks last year ranks fourth-best on the school’s single-season chart. He set the school’s single-game blocked shot record Jan. 10, at home when he recorded nine blocks in the Griffs’ 94-91 double-overtime win over Rider. He also ranked fourth in the MAAC after he shot 53.4 percent from the field and he ranked third on the team with his 35 steals.
“I’m very happy for Jordan, this is a great opportunity for him,” Canisius head coach Jim Baron said. “He’ll be working with a great general manager in Jeff Bower and a great head coach in Stan Van Gundy. This is exciting, not only for the Canisius program, but for Buffalo and the Western New York college basketball community.”
Prior to joining the Canisius program, Heath helped lead Roberts Wesleyan to the 2010-11 National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Final Four. He was named to the NCCAA All-Tournament Team and he ended the 2010-11 season with Roberts Wesleyan averaging 14.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game.
Heath is one of two Canisius players that will take part in the 2014 NBA Summer League next month, joining with former teammate Billy Baron, who will join with the Chicago Bulls’ summer entry into the Samsung NBA Summer League. Heath and his Pistons teammates will take part in the Southwest Airlines Orlando Pro Summer League. Those games will be held July 5-11 in the Orlando Magic’s practice facility at the Amway Center.
Leave a Reply