http://www.ysusports.com/sports/mbkb/2010-11/releases/20110426yqktoxYoungstown, Ohio -- The Youngstown State men's basketball program has signed guard DJ Cole, a third-team all-state selection, to a National Letter-of-Intent to continue his academic and athletic career with the Penguins beginning in 2011-12, Head Coach Jerry Slocum announced on Wednesday (April 27).
Cole, a 6-foot point guard from Olathe, Kan., averaged 13 points, six assists and four steals per game and shot 63 percent from the field as a senior.
Cole was selected to play in the Greater Kansas City Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Game and led the Kansas All-Star Team to a 109-100 victory over the Missouri All-Star Team while scoring 17 points.
"We are very excited to have DJ join our basketball team," Slocum said. "He comes to us from a great high school program at Olathe South under Head Coach Jim Carr where he won a couple of conference championships.
"DJ is one of the best defensive players that I've seen in a long time, and he can change the game at both the defensive and offensive ends of the floor."
Cole joins Shawn Amiker, Jr. (Oak Park, Mich), Fletcher Larson (Lakewood, N.Y.) and Cale Zuiker (Marshfield, Wis.) as members of the 2011-12 recruiting class.
"With the addition of DJ, Cale, and our two redshirts in Shawn and Fletcher, this maybe one of our best recruiting classes since we have been at Youngstown State," Slocum said.
A three-year letterwinner at Olathe South High School, he earned first-team all-conference honors and was also named the KC Prep Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.
Cole said he felt right at home when he visited the campus of Youngstown State.
"I liked the whole coaching staff the first time I met them," Cole said. " The campus really sold me on YSU and I really felt comfortable with the players on the team."
He was also named first-team all-class 6A and garnered second-team class 6A all-state honors.
During his junior season, he was named third-team all-conference and Olathe South to a conference championship.
Cole said he intends on majoring in business management.