Fort Bend Christian Academy junior Samuel Cole.
There’s not a lot Fort Bend Christian Academy junior guard Samuel Cole can’t do on the basketball court.
Need some buckets? Psssht, no biggie. Cole puts up 22 points per game. Get others involved? Say less. He dishes out five assists per.
Pressure the ball and create turnovers? Cole’s your guy, averaging five steals per game. Help on the boards? Ask Cole, who, despite being 5-foot-11 on a good day, takes in four rebounds per game.
“I feel like I can do anything on the court,” Cole said.
He is literally hard to contain.
“I feel like I’m the quickest guy my opponent will ever play against,” Cole said. “That’s the one best thing about my game.”
And futbol. A lot of futbol.
Cole has played soccer since he was five years old. Even now, if he’s not on the court, he can often be found on the field.
“It has helped my lateral quickness greatly, and also my footwork and where I place my foot on the court,” he said.
But don’t get it twisted. Hoops is in the youngster’s DNA. Cole lives for the game.
Coming for everything this year.\n @rayballislife_ \n@bigsloan32 \n@Laytho_TooLivepic.twitter.com/k03VYbQuGf— Samuel Cole (@Samuel Cole) 1644014170
Ever since he picked up a ball at two years old, it’s rare to see him without it.
“I fell in love with basketball because of the peace it brought me,” Cole said. “Even now, it brings me so much peace and gets my mind off things that are stressing me out.”
On the court, Cole tends to stress out opponents. He is dynamic, electric. A game-changer.
For instance, take the time during his freshman year when he scored 12 points in the final four minutes of a game against Cypress Christian to rally the Eagles from a 20-point deficit.
Cole drilled a 3-pointer for the win.
“I feel like I always have a ‘killer’ mindset to me,” Cole said. “I just want to always win.”
He also has the spirit of an underdog. He embraces being overlooked.
Cole loves it when he hears the doubters whisper. When they knock his size or scoff at his gaudy numbers.
“What motivates me is proving everyone who doesn't believe in me wrong, and proving everyone who does right,” Cole said.
5\u201910 Samuel Cole (2023/PG) has been consistently producing.. @samuelcole_1 @top100talent @FBCAathleticspic.twitter.com/CnWIRbeHWf— Billionairevsns (@Billionairevsns) 1642388981
This season in particular, Cole feels opponents have a better feel for who he is. There’s no more sneaking up on teams. He’s adjusted accordingly.
Cole started preparing as early as last summer on counters, working diligently on his midrange game and learning to finish shots more consistently over taller defenders. He studied film of other undersized guards like the Atlanta Hawks’ Sharife Cooper and San Antonio Spurs’ Tre Jones.
“Now I'm starting to become smarter with the shots I take,” Cole said. “I feel like whatever defense the team is in, I can always find a way to get the ball in the basket somehow.”
