When Indiana assistant coach Bruiser Flint came calling, Jordan Longino immediately found a connection to IU.
Hailing from the Philadelphia suburbs, Longino already knew of Flint, who grew up, played college basketball and coached in the eastern Pennsylvania metropolis.
“Everybody knows him,” Longino said of the fourth year IU assistant.
Flint first made contact with the class of 2021 Longino during his junior high school season, and Indiana was already a program that the 6-foot-5 shooting guard was well aware of.
“The legendary coach Bob Knight of course, and just the legacy and lineage of Indiana basketball, Longino told The Daily Hoosier what comes to mind when he thinks of IU.
“I feel like Indiana is a school where you think of (the state of) Indiana you think of the Hoosiers and everything that has behind it.”
If it sounds like Longino has an unusually deep knowledge of the IU program, there is a good reason for that. And getting an offer from Indiana carried with it extra significance.
“It’s definitely a dream come true, and definitely a team I grew up watching with my dad, because my mom and dad were born in Gary, Ind., so they are Indiana natives, so this (offer) was a sweeter one when I received the call from Coach Miller,” Longino said. “My family was really excited about this one.”
Longino’s mother went to IU in the ’90s. “She is definitely familiar with the school,” he said.
When it comes to the current Indiana basketball program, Longino is working to gain familiarity while he waits for recruiting to open back up.
“I watched a few Indiana games during the season, but the more coach Miller and coach Flint recruited me they sat me down and we watched a video going over their offense, going over their game plan, going over their playing style,” Longino told The Daily Hoosier.
“I’ve definitely been watching (Indiana) film and games with my parents and my brother, so I am starting to get more well versed on Indiana basketball.”
When Indiana has watched Longino, they see the long, versatile athlete that has become a priority for Miller.
A highly efficient scorer, Longino shot 54.4 percent from the field overall for Germantown Academy, including 41.5 percent from three-point range. He also made 80.6 percent of his attempts from the free throw line. Longino added 5.8 rebounds, 2 assists and .7 steals per contest for the Patriots during the 2019-20 campaign.
A four-star recruit and the No. 61 player nationally according to the 247Sports Composite, Longino’s ability as a shooter is no doubt part of the appeal for IU. But Miller and Flint like the complete package.
“Being a perimeter shooter, somebody that can score the ball at all three levels, Longino said of what IU likes about him.
“Also that I bring versatility with my size, the way I can handle the ball and be a playmaker is something that I think the coaches have found appealing that I can bring to the team. I can also guard one through three.”
The next step for Longino in his recruitment is to start taking visits when in person contact is allowed again.
A visit to Indiana is something that seems very likely at this point.
“Definitely when all this is over Indiana is one of the schools that I priority want to visit and hopefully take an official visit to,” Longino said. “It’s definitely a school that right when this ends I can’t wait to get up there and see the school.”
Also a football star for Germantown, Longino was hopeful that he would have made a decision before his senior campaign on the gridiron.
“Before I was looking at September so I could get my visits and commitment done so I could go into my senior year and have my decision made and take some pressure off myself,” Longino said. “But it is probably going to get pushed back a little bit because I haven’t been able to take any actual physical visits to any schools yet.”
Longino was also the Germantown starting quarterback this past season, and he led the team to a 7-2 overall record, throwing for almost 2,000 yards and 16 touchdowns with just four interceptions.
But one decision Longino has made is that he won’t be a two-sport athlete in college.
“The more I’ve played basketball this past year I’ve grown a passion for it. That’s really all I want to do when I get to college,” Longino said.
The main programs recruiting Longino right now are Villanova, Ohio State, Penn State, Virginia, St. Joseph’s, Notre Dame and Indiana. He hasn’t decided yet which schools he will visit this summer.
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