West Iredell’s Jordan Patterson may be the best player you’ve not heard about this year
West Iredell’s high-scoring guard Jordan Patterson says there’s no place like home.
That’s why he’s spending his senior year back home after starting his high school career at nearby West Caldwell.
“My season is going amazing,” said Patterson, who’s averaging 32.3 points in the Warriors’ first eight games. “It’s just a blessing being back home and learning more about the game every day.”
Patterson and his older brother Jaylen left the West Iredell district four years ago to play for a football coach at West Caldwell. (Jaylen is now a sophomore quarterback at Savannah State.)
“There was a lot of love up there,” Patterson said of his time at West Caldwell. “I wanted to come change a program. And the best thing about that is coming home and changing a program.”
West Iredell High’s basketball program has struggled for most of its 50-year existence.
Only twice have the Warriors won a league title — in 1995 and 1996 when 1996 Charlotte Observer Piedmont Player of the Year and future University of Georgia standout Shon Coleman led the school to back-to-back Foothills 3A Conference titles.
But only twice in the last 18 seasons has West Iredell had a winning record. The last one was in the 2010-11 season.
With Patterson’s offensive skills leading the way — he’s had three game of 40 or more points and five games of 30 or more points — the Warriors are 7-1 overall and 1-0 in the Western Foothills 3A Conference entering the upcoming North Iredell holiday tournament.
“I’ve got conference championship on my mind and making the playoffs,” said Patterson, a 6-foot-3, 175-pounder who has already committed to NCAA Division II Lees-McRae of Conference Carolinas. “If we can continue to have courage, intensity and faith, I believe it’ll all come together.”
In Friday’s 65-55 win over St. Stephens in West Iredell’s league opener, the Warriors overcame a 15-11 first quarter deficit and a late challenge to take the victory.
Patterson had 33 points on 11 of 19 shooting with 10 rebounds and four steals.
Including his three years at West Caldwell, Patterson has 1,471 career points through the first eight games of this season.
West Iredell’s third-year head coach Reggae Samuel said he found out Patterson was returning to West Iredell over the summer when he called to see when the gym would be open.
“It’s a huge help to have him here,” Samuel said. “I’m always looking for somebody who’s hungry to get better.
“He has trust in his teammates. And once everybody is effective offensively, that makes him more open. We want everybody to contribute.”
