MBB: R.J. Cole declares for NBA Draft
A basketball journey featuring a rise from Jersey City that preceded collegiate antics in Washington D.C., Hartford, and Storrs is set to continue in the NBA.
R.J. Cole, the University of Connecticut’s men’s leading scorer from the past season, declared for the professional draft on Monday night, capping off a two-year career with the Huskies after transferring from Howard after the 2018-19 campaign. Cole averaged 14.3 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.3 rebounds in blue and white, guiding the Huskies to their first set of consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances since 2011-12. Cole, who sat out the 2018-19 season as a result of the transfer, had one more year of eligibility brought about by extensions induced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Jersey City native made his announcement through a post on his social media accounts.
“Thank you Husky Nation for taking in a kid whose dream has always been to be part of the UConn family, it has been an unforgettable 3 years, [sic]” Cole said. “There’s a reason this is the Basketball Capital of the World. The way the fans Bleed Blue here is on a different level, special in fact and I loved every second of it.”
Cole first appeared on the national radar while playing for Bob Hurley’s final teams at the since-shuttered St. Anthony’s High School. Coming to Connecticut had Cole playing for a second generation Hurley under Bob’s son Dan.
“Thank you to the coaching staff for taking me in and instilling the necessary confidence in me to play here,” Cole noted. “Playing for Coach (Dan) Hurley meant a lot as I got to stay within the Hurley family.”
Cole’s note also thanks God, his family, the UConn support staff and managers, and his teammates, remarking that he “wouldn’t have wanted to step on the court with anyone else to have the opportunity to bring the program back”. Though the aforementioned returns to the NCAA bracket proved fruitless, an undoubted spark returned to the Huskies’ program under the watch of Cole and his classmates: UConn, for example won 23 games this season, their best output since their run to the national title in 2014 and their 13 victories in Big East play were their best since 2008-09.
A Cole basket perhaps officially signaled UConn’s return to the national spotlight, as he officially sealed his place in Husky lore with a game-winning floater with just over five seconds remaining in a 71-69 victory over Villanova at XL Center on Feb. 22. Cole also registered the 2,000th points of his collegiate career in a Huskies uniform, doing so in a win over Marquette last December. For his efforts, Cole was named to the Big East’s primary all-conference team alongside teammate Adama Sanogo, as the Huskies were the only program to feature multiple representatives on the first team.
A hardwood star and exemplary student at St. Anthony’s, Cole turned down offers from more popular schools to star with Howard of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. He led the MEAC in points and assists in both of his seasons with the Bison and was bestowed the conference’s Player of the Year honor in 2019. That season ended with an appearance in the College Basketball Invitational, the Bison’s first postseason tournament showing since 1992.
Though Cole is moving on to the NBA, it won’t be the last time he reps the Huskies: both he and fellow senior Tyrese Martin are set to partake in the 2022 NABC-Reese’s Division I College All-Star Game, which will be held in New Orleans on Friday (4:30 p.m. ET, CBSSN) as part of the lead-in to the men’s Final Four. The pair will likewise appear in the Dos Equis 3X3U National Championship, also in New Orleans, competing for a share of $150,000 on “Beast Coast Ballers”, which will consist of student-athletes from the Big East and Atlantic 10.
The 2022 NBA Draft will be held on June 23 at Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets. James Bouknight ended the Huskies’ four-year drought of representation at the draft when he was chosen by the Charlotte Hornets with the 11th overall pick in last year’s edition.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
