Cole eager to begin dream
The two seasons R.J. Cole spent playing at Howard University were “probably the best two years of my life,” according to the talented point guard.
“I feel like I made a name for myself those two years, and I’m really happy about it,” Cole said, “especially playing with the guys I played with.”
Still, after averaging 21.4 points per game and winning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors as a sophomore, Cole elected to transfer in April, 2019.
“I just wanted something better for myself,” he said. I wanted to be able to challenge myself and be challenged by other coaches, players and teammates. I needed that change for myself to perfect my craft and try to get where I want to go in the future.”
Without question, the competition in the MEAC pales in comparison to any Power Five league, the Big East, or even the American.
Cole, who starred for three seasons at St. Anthony High in Jersey City, N.J. under Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley Sr., opted to cash in on a “lifelong dream” and play at UConn, coached by Bob Sr.’s younger son, Dan. Cole said he had great memories of watching Kemba Walker lead the team to a miraculous national title in 2011.
Cole had to sit out last season as a transfer, per NCAA rules. He’s been back on campus for the past two weeks for voluntary workouts, after working out for much of the prior few months at a local gym near his Union, N.J. home with his father, Robert, a former LIUBrooklyn standout.
While there’s nowhere Cole would rather be right now, a funny thing has happened at Howard since Cole left. Last week, Makur Maker, a 7-footer and consensus national Top 25 recruit, committed to play at Howard. It’s the first time a five-star recruit has ever committed to play at an historically black college or university
(HBCU).
Maker, a native of Sudan, noted that it won’t be the last time, either.
“I think it’s a bold move,” said Cole. “I think it’s a great move for the culture. Hopefully, he’s leading the way for other athletes to choose HBCUs in the future.”
In fact, Cole had that in mind when he committed to Howard three years ago.
“Personally, I tried to be that difference-maker when I first made the decision with Howard,” he said. “Of course, I wasn’t a five-star (recruit) coming out of high school, so I wasn’t getting that same notoriety that he got. I mean, I got some, but it wasn’t to the extent to what he’s getting right now.”
The question now is whether Maker’s move will become a trend. Will more top African-American prospects decide to bolster HBCUs, where they might feel more comfortable? With civil rights a burgeoning topic across the nation and the Black Lives Matter movement at the forefront, it certainly seems possible.
“I mean, I hope so,” said Cole. “But at the end of the day, I think it’s just gonna come down to what people are trying to get out of their time in college. I just think if they want to play against the best of the best, they’ll be going to a Power Five conference. But if they want to continue to make that change, they’ll be choosing the path of going to an HBCU.”
James Jones, who will begin his 22nd season as Yale’s head coach, is encouraged by Maker’s decision and what it could bring.
“It’s certainly positive for people to value their heritage,” said Jones. “There’s not a downside to any of that. As a matter of fact, it’s all upside: ‘I’m supporting and I’m gonna bring value to people that look like me.’ I think that’s great.”
Could it hurt Jones at some point? Could more players who could have gone to Yale instead opt for an HBCU? Maybe. But then, Jones has already noticed a trend of more top players considering Yale and other Ivies over the Power Fives.
In recent years, Jones has had Grant Williams and New Haven’s own Tremont Waters on campus for official visits. Both went elsewhere (Tennessee and LSU, respectively, and are now teammates on the Celtics), but that they’d even consider Yale on their final list of schools proved some top recruits are looking beyond the basketball court.
Jordan Bruner, who recently left for Alabama as a grad transfer, was Yale’s most highly-touted recruit … perhaps ever. Harvard, under Tommy Amaker, has brought in numerous fourstar recruits in recent years, including Bryce Aiken, who will play at Seton Hall as a grad transfer this season.
Some top-notch prospects are looking for things that aren’t as tangible.
“All things possible,” Jones stated, emphatically.
‘I’M HAPPY WHERE I’M AT RIGHT NOW’
Cole, salutatorian of his senior class at St. Anthony, wasn’t highly-recruited on the basketball floor. His final five came down to Howard, LIU-Brooklyn, Loyola-Marymount, Monmouth and Boston University. He gave some thought to reclassifying, which could have brought schools like Virginia and Georgetown into the mix, but wound up at Howard, thanks to a rapport with head coach Kevin Nickelberry that “I couldn’t get anywhere else. He allowed me to be who I am.”
As a freshman, Cole started all 33 games and led the conference in scoring (23.7), assists (6.1) and steals (1.7) per game. He was named MEAC Rookie of the Year.
Cole backed that up with a sophomore season that was just as impressive, earning AP Honorable Mention All-American accolades to go with league Player of the Year honors.
Still, he yearned for better competition and entered the NCAA transfer portal. His final three schools were UConn, Alabama and Seton Hall, and the Huskies won out.
Cole could have asked the NCAA for a waiver to be able to play immediately this past season, but decided against it.
“I thought sitting out would be the best possible thing for me,” he said. “I got a chance to learn Coach Hurley’s system and get that down, and just to watch and try to grow as a player in the facets of the game I need to work on better. I think that actually helped me adjust. It also made me realize I had to change my approach to play against stronger people.”
Cole knows things will be different in the Big East. He’s not going to average 23 points per game. He’ll be going up against much better players every night, and have much better teammates to distribute to, as well. His shooting numbers in his two years at Howard weren’t great (40.4 percent overall), but part of that was because of the volume of difficult shots he was forced to take.
“I won’t have to take so many tough shots,” Cole said, “because there are so many guys on this team who can create. When I was at Howard, I was more the creator for everybody — myself and my teammates, included.”
Now, Cole, who figures to get a push for the starting point guard spot by rising sophomore Jalen Gaffney, will have the option to toss alley-oop lobs to James Bouknight and Andre Jackson, hit Akok Akok or Tyler Polley for 3-pointers or dump it inside to Adama Sanogo or Josh Carlton.
He won’t get the chance to play alongside Makur Maker.
“That would have been nice,” said Cole, “but I’m happy where I’m at right now.”