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Men's basketball signs Guard DJ Cole from Olathe, Kansas

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ysuindy:
http://www.ysusports.com/sports/mbkb/2010-11/releases/20110426yqktox

Youngstown, 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.

ysuindy:
From the Kansas City Star

South’s Cole, who has yet to commit anywhere for college, will be equally hard to replace.

A dynamic ball-handler in the open floor and an underrated scorer, Cole is arguably better as a defensive player than anything else. The floor general and sparkplug for a Falcons team that shared the Sunflower League title the last two last seasons, it will take a small army to replace all the things he brought the floor.



Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/04/05/2778998/hoops-all-stars-leave-behind-incredible.html#ixzz1Kk12xlom

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This story indicates interest by Evansville, North Dakota State

“During games, I don't think about anything like my stats or who is recruiting me, but after the game I go back through how I played and think about that stuff,” said Cole, who is being pursued by North Dakota State, Evansville and numerous junior colleges among other suitors.

http://www.theolathenews.com/2011/01/19/1033450/senior-basketball-stars-experience.html

ysuindy:
From Scout in January

http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1174649

 Olathe (Kan.) South senior point guard D.J. Cole could probably help out somebody on the lower end of the division one scale. A 5-foot-11 floor general, Cole has near elite speed and quickness, great body control and is a fierce competitor. However, he's not much of a shooter and tends to get a bit out of control on drives. The tools, though, are there.


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More comments on his defense

http://kcprephoops.wordpress.com/2011/02/21/the-post-season-is-here/

Olathe East, Olathe Northwest, Olathe South – 6A – You can probably flip a coin for which Olathe school will emerge from their sub-state but we like Olathe South best because of DJ Cole. He is a game changer on defense and when he is hitting mid-range jumpers, it makes the team all that more dangerous inside and in transition

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One from last year

Sleeper Alert – Rozell Nunn, a talented combo guard at Schlagle High School, missed his sophomore season because of injury and has flown beneath the radar for many recruiting services. But this kid can really go and will score in transition as well as in structured offense. Once he is widely seen, he will turn heads at the mid-major level. We also like a point guard that no one is talking about – Derek Cole at Olathe South. He is extremely quick and can move a team up and down in transition with tremendous savvy. Relegated to a small role as a sophomore because of South’s deep talent, he will play a major role this year and could command some attention from mid-majors.

http://www.flagrantfouls.com/2009/11/kansas-city-continues-to-impress-with-high-school-basketball-talent/

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Everything seems to point to a kid who is quick, good defender but needs to improve his jumper.

IAA Fan:
Looks as though he will be a real asset on D when we are in half-court (which will be quite a bit in the HL). Coach seems very high on this class.

Wick250:
I am glad to have this kid, but the cruel fact is that will not win more games than we lose in the Horizon League unless we can recruit several quality big men.  How ironic is it that Slocum's first recruit was a serviceable big man yet he has not come close to duplicating that feat?

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