A passion for basketball and service to others led Central College sophomore Jordan Saddoris to multiple trips to Africa and, in April, to the NCAA Division I men’s basketball Final Four as a member of the elite All-State National Association of Basketball Coaches Good Works Team.
Saddoris was among 10 players cited from all levels of college basketball and was honored at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas April 2-4. The selection committee was led by former NBA all-star Grant Hill along with former coaches, athletes and media members, including former Ohio State standout and CBS analyst Clark Kellogg.
Saddoris is the only Iowan chosen for the men’s honor squad. It’s the second time this year that a Central student-athlete has received Good Works Team recognition and an impressive fifth time overall. Senior Jake Wassenaar was cited in football this past fall and was honored at the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on New Year’s Day. Other previous Central football honorees are Marc Poortinga (1997), Stephen Barnes (2005) and Cory Nikkel (2011). The Good Works football team was launched in 1997 and the basketball team debuted in 2013.
Saddoris made his fifth trip to Africa in March and will return this summer. Saddoris partnered with former Iowa State University player Jake Sullivan and Kingdom Hoops to work in Chad and Ghana last year, and now raises money to directly assist some children and families he met.
Saddoris is the youngest member of the board of directors for Acts 2 Collective, a combination of four charitable organizations that do work in Africa.
Central is among only 16 U.S. colleges and universities to receive the finalist designation on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. Central students completed 71,850 community service hours in the past year.
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