Jordan returns to Illini

-For a look back at when Jeff Jordan committed to Illinois, click here.

CHAMPAIGN - Add another (familiar) name to the Illinois basketball roster.

And another comeback to the Jordan family name.

Bruce Weber announced today Jeff Jordan will return to the Illinois basketball team. The 6-foot-1 guard left the team in June. He's in good standing academically and is expected to be eligible immediately. The Illini are scheduled to hold their first official practice this afternoon, prior to tonight's Illini Madness event at the Assembly Hall.

"After meeting with him and discussing the situation, we are pleased to give him the opportunity," Weber said in a statement. "He has obviously missed a great deal of time away from the program the last six months, and he has a lot of work ahead of him. There are conditions Jeff must meet to fully earn his way back."

As a sophomore last season, Jordan appeared in 33 of 34 games. He averaged 8.4 minutes in a reserve role. That followed a freshman season in which he averaged about 5 minutes in 26 games.

With Jordan, Weber now has three veteran guards (Demetri McCamey, Alex Legion) to mix with three freshman guards (Joseph Bertrand, Brandon Paul, D.J. Richardson). The coach was concerned about a lack of experience - and depth - in the backcourt, particularly after Bertrand missed most of fall workouts following knee surgery.

"It's scary because if somebody else goes down or something," Weber said earlier this week.

Jordan gives Illinois another veteran guard - not to mention the most famous non-scholarship walk-on in college basketball.

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