Two years ago, after Jordan Rezendes attained his Associate’s Degree from MassBay Community College, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever play another game of college basketball.

“I didn’t know if I’d be going back to school,” said the Onset native and current University of Massachusetts Dartmouth junior who grew up playing ball on the courts of Lopes Playground, Hammond School, at the YMCA and with the JBA Youth Basketball League.

A 2010 Wareham High School graduate, Rezendes was a key part of that year's Division III Championship boys team. He scored over 1,000 points in his high school career. But after bouncing from Dean College to MassBay and two years away from school, he thought his college days were numbered.

After enrolling at UMass, however, Rezendes has excelled on the court, leading both his team and the Little East Conference with 22.8 points per game. On Feb. 21, he broke UMass’s single-game scoring record by pouring in 51 points against Keene State.

“I was just in the zone,” he said of the performance. “I felt like I was playing at the park near my house. I didn’t see nobody, I didn’t hear nobody. I was in the zone.”

A current resident of the UMass campus, it’s safe to say that he’s found a home, at least for the next year-and-a-half or so.

“I’ll be back next year,” he said Friday afternoon from the school’s campus.

A psychology major, Rezendes said he’s enjoyed his time at UMass, both in the classroom, on the court, and around campus.

“It’s been great — Coach (Brian Baptiste) is great, my teammates are great,” he said.

Baptiste, the longtime UMass coach, had good things to say about Rezendes as well.

“He’s very easy-going, he listens well — he’s a very talented college basketball player,” said Baptiste. “He’s provided us with a lot of firepower.”

Baptiste said Rezendes played in a summer league with Brandon Stevens, a former UMass Dartmouth player of his, and he expressed an interest in UMass to Stevens.

“He was telling Brandon he wanted to go back to college, and Brandon called me,” said Baptiste. “I contacted him last summer, and I was able to convince him to come. He’s been a pleasure to coach.”

Though Rezendes spent the previous two years playing in leagues in Boston and on Cape Cod and was uncertain about his future, he continued to work hard on the court.

“Just being hungry (led to his recent success),” he said. “I didn’t know if I was going to go back to school, but everyday, I was hungry. Now that I finally got the chance to, I just leave it out on the court.”

Rezendes said his family has been a major influence on him throughout his 23 years. He said his father Michael, who uses a wheelchair, has helped him to succeed.

“I’ve never heard him complain about anything,” said Rezendes. “He’s tough on me. I see him doing everything on his own, and he doesn’t ask for help with anything. I kind of use that as motivation.”

“I’m doing it for my family, basically,” he added, saying that one of the best parts of his recent 51 point game was seeing the reaction of those close to him. “It was great. Just seeing how happy everybody was for me — it was great to see that. A lot of people congratulated me. Everyone was so happy for me.”

Wareham High Assistant Coach Larry Senna, who lives just down the street from Rezendes' family's home in Onset, said he remembers coaching Rezendes in the JBA Youth League. He told a story about how Rezendes took it upon himself to help a fellow player with Tourette's Syndrome feel welcomed within the team.

"He'd clear out an entire side of the court for him and let him shoot the ball," said Senna. "He's always looking to help other people. That's the kind of person he is. He's an all around good person."

"He's played well (this year)," added Senna. "He controls the game. He's not the fastest, he's not the best dribbler, he's not the highest jumper. But he's smart, and he gets the job done. And he has an edge to him, too. A competitive edge."

Recently, Rezendes was named the United States Basketball Writers Association Men's Division III Player of the Week and to D3Hoops.com Team of the Week. On Tuesday, Feb. 24, he helped lead the number three-ranked UMass team to a first round playoff win against the sixth-seeded UMass Boston as he scored 35 points, hitting 11 of 19 shots. He has scored at least 20 points in 15 games, including surpassing the 30-point six times.

And for the future?

“I want to continue playing ball and get the degree first,” he said, “for as long as I can. Hopefully get overseas and make that my job. But if not, I’ll use my degree to get a job. And I definitely would like to coach one day.”

UMass lost No. 2 Rhode Island College on Friday, Feb. 27 in the LEC semifinals, ending their season. Rezendes led the team with 20 points.