Michael Jordan will have a little more pocket change in coming months thanks to a decision by Bruce Weber.

With a spot available, the Illinois coach said Thursday he placed guard Jeff Jordan on scholarship for the spring semester after he arrived as arguably the most famous walk-on in NCAA basketball history before the 2007-08 season.

“He’s proven to us that he belongs,” Weber said. “He’s done a nice job of having a niche, a role. He’s a pest on defense. He pushes the ball on the break as well as anyone — better than Chester (Frazier) and Demetri (McCamey). He’s just a quality kid and a good team member.”

Jordan’s numbers certainly don’t jump off the page. He’s averaging 1.3 points in 9.5 minutes per game. But he has become a steadying influence when he’s on the floor with 22 assists and eight turnovers. Weber isn’t afraid to use him to defend the best opposing perimeter player when Frazier is taking a break and he’s making a lot of open shots (10 for 19).

Jordan had a chance to play at other schools, including Valparaiso, on scholarship in 2007 but made it clear that he was content being at Illinois as a walk-on after visiting the campus. In fact, he told me in July of that year: “I was going to come mostly for academic reasons, and I wasn’t interested in playing at first.”

But he has become a factor in the team’s guard-heavy rotation.

After the 6 foot 1 sophomore had a particularly nice game against Michigan recently, Weber said he hoped to get him eight to 12 minutes per game in the future. He played only three against Michigan State and seven against Ohio State, but Weber continues to use him during key stretches. So, Jordan will be earning that scholarship.

“We probably should have done it the first semester,” Weber said. “I hope he feels good about it. Along the way, as a staff, we have felt more confident when he goes in that he can be solid for us.”

The Illini are now at their limit of 13 scholarships. Jordan could lose the scholarship next fall, however, because the team will lose three seniors and add four incoming freshmen who have already signed letters.

Jordan previously had received a small academic scholarship that covered a fraction of his expenses. The Jordans will be saving in the range of $13,000 to $14,500 for the semester of tuition, fees, room and board and other expenses.