John Gordon shoots the basketball with confidence, believing he can make every shot.

The freshman’s clutch shooting and poised play have been pivotal to the University of Maine’s 4-0 start in North Atlantic Conference play. He will showcase his talents tonight at 7:30 when Maine plays Vermont at Alfond Arena in Orono.

Some coaches said the 5-foot-8, 160-pound guard from Wilmington, Del., was too small to play Division I basketball. These days, Gordon is the “big” man on campus for Coach Rudy Keeling’s Bears.

“It made me mad,” Gordon said of his dealings with college recruiters, who always had a 6-2 or 6-3 guard ahead of him on their lists. “But I think I’m at a good place now, a place where I can be good some day.”

Only 10 games into his college career, Gordon is Maine’s go-to guy. He nailed a 3-pointer with 12.4 seconds left to beat Delaware and hit a 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds remaining to top Boston University.

Gordon believes in himself.

“With my shot, I’m always confident, even if I miss eight in a row,” said Gordon, who admitted he developed that mentally through his success in high school.

“I feel a lot better after hearing the juniors and seniors saying they look for me at the end of the game,” said the soft-spoken Gordon, who hesitates to give himself too much credit.

The freshman has come off the bench to average 12.2 points, second on the squad, and leads the team in 3-point percentage (.447) and free-throw percentage (.724).

Gordon played shooting guard in as a sophomore and junior at St. Mark’s High School in Wilmington. He moved to point guard last season, leading coach Lee Sibley’s team to the state title en route to Delaware Player of the Year honors.

It was Sibley, who coached in Maine, who steered Gordon to Keeling and his staff. They liked what they saw of Gordon at point guard.

“We knew he was a good shooter and a pretty good player,” Keeling said. “We didn’t know he had the maturity that he possesses and we didn’t know he’d be as tough a kid as he is. It takes a lot of toughness to take those last shots. He’s not afraid.”

Gordon received scholarship offers from Delaware, which is minutes from his home, along with Marist, Monmouth, Canisius, Wagner and Niagara. Wanting to distance himself from his home area, he chose Maine.

“My gosh, John Gordon…. amazing. I don’t know how he got away from Delaware and Towson State,” Towson coach Terry Truax said Saturday after Gordon scored 18 points in the last six minutes to secure Maine’s 85-72 victory.

Gordon arrived at UMaine unsure of how he would fit into Keeling’s plans. It quickly became evident that he was not only an adequate backup to senior point guard Casey Arena, but could provide an outside shooting threat.

Arena has been instrumental in creating openings for Gordon by penetrating and then kicking the ball outside. They have complemented each other well.

Keeling has utilized Gordon as the first guard off the bench behind Arena and off-guard Matt Moore. He has handled both roles, depending upon what was needed.

Gordon is a steady ballhandler, a good passer, and has the composure to make good decisions at the point. On the wing, he gets open and make shots without forcing.

“He doesn’t try to do what he can’t do,” Keeling said. “It’s hard for him to play outside of himself. He understands what his limitations are. He doesn’t get rattled.”

Gordon, who also has been a steady defender, prefers the point.

“I like the point way better, even if I score less points,” said Gordon, who enjoys running the team.

As the season progresses, Gordon wants to work on making shots off penetration without getting them blocked. Keeling wants Gordon, who is averaging nine shots per game, to shoot more.

However, as NAC opponents become aware of Gordon’s shooting, they likely will gear their defenses toward slowing him down.

“People are going to start not to let him get the ball,” Keeling said.