Tennessee Basketball: Looking back at the Volunteers career of Jordan McRae

A former highly-touted prospect out of high school who went on to have a four-year career in Knoxville, here is a look back at the Tennessee basketball career of Jordan McRae.

Looking back at the Tennessee Basketball career of Jordan McRae

As mentioned previously, McRae originally came to Knoxville as a member of the Volunteers 2010 recruiting class, considered as a highly-rated four-star prospect out of Liberty County High School in Georgia. One of the top players in the state of Georgia that cycle, McRae was also considered as the nation’s No. 39 overall prospect according to the 247Sports Composite.

Once at Tennessee, McRae would go on to appear in only 10 games as a freshman however, all of which came off the Volunteers bench. McRae would average a combined 1.8 PPG that season, and would return to Knoxville for what would be a breakout 2011-12 campaign for the former four-star.

As a sophomore, McRae would start in 15-of-34 games for the Volunteers to average a combined 8.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and 1.5 APG. McRae would also shoot 75.9% from the free throw line that year, and would go on to be cemented as one of Tennessee’s top players entering his junior season.

While the 2011-12 season would mark a breakout campaign for McRae, the Tennessee guard would take yet another step forward as a junior, averaging a combined 15.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 2 APG in 2012-13. Starting in 22-of-33 games for the Volunteers, McRae would also shoot a noteworthy 35.5% from three that season, while also leading Tennessee in scoring (No. 4 in SEC), to receive First Team All-SEC honors.

Returning for his senior season the next year, McRae would be named to the 2013-14 preseason Wooden Award watch list, and would post yet another special campaign as the leading scorer for a Tennessee team that reached the Sweet 16. Starting in all 37 games, McRae would average 18.7 PPG (No. 4 in SEC), 3.5 RPG, and 2.5 APG on 35.1% shooting from three, as well as 78.8% from the free throw line, to earn Second Team All-SEC honors, while also leading the SEC in both field goals (223) and Offensive Box Plus/Minus (8.1).

At the conclusion of his 2013-14 senior season, McRae would go on to be selected with the No. 58 overall pick in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs, bringing an end to his Tennessee basketball career. Across his time in Knoxville overall, McRae would start in 74-of-114 games, averaging a combined 13.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 1.8 APG on 34.3% shooting from three, as well as 76.9% from the free throw line.

McRae would go on to play four seasons in the NBA, with the most recent coming back in 2019-20, averaging a combined 6.9 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 1.4 APG across 123 career games between the Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, Denver Nuggets, and Detroit Pistons. A one-time NBA champion back in 2016 with the Cavaliers, McRae has since played professionally overseas.