Former University of Central Arkansas athlete to make Olympic debut in Paris

CONWAY, Ark. – A former University of Central Arkansas Bear hoping to take home gold at the 2024 Olympics.

Jordan Howard, a former UCA Bears guard, will be playing for Team Puerto Rico’s men’s basketball team during the Paris games.

UCA officials said Howard is the all-time leading scorer and three-point shooter in the school’s history and had previously represented Puerto Rico on the men’s national basketball team.

Across his college career with the Bears, Howard scored 2,524 points and 384 three-pointers and was named Southland Conference Player of the Year in his senior year as well as SLC Men’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year twice.

According to university officials, Howard scored double digits in 120 of the 124 games he played for the school and made at least one three-pointer in 120 of 124 games. He also played for the East team in the 2018 Reese’s College All-Star Game.

Since finishing his college career, Howard has played professionally in the NBA G League and the Korean Basketball League as well as leagues in Italy, Spain and Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico will be playing South Sudan at 4 a.m. on Sunday and then later face Serbia at 10 a.m. on Wednesday before finally playing against USA at 10 a.m. on Aug. 3. The men’s basketball quarterfinals are set for Aug. 6.

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