Why R.J. Cole should be considered for 2021-22 Big East Player of the Year

RJ Cole has been the star of the UConn Huskies this season and is set to lead them to the NCAA Tournament. Could he also be Big East Player of the Year?

Even when he was just a young boy growing up in New Jersey, R.J. Cole had one school in mind that he wanted to play college basketball for:

The University of Connecticut.

When he was just eight or nine years old, Cole attended a Jim Calhoun Basketball Camp at Gampel Pavilion and won the MVP. In high school, he played at the powerhouse St. Anthony’s High School in Jersey City under the Hall of Famer Bob Hurley, father of current UConn coach Dan Hurley.

From St. Anthony’s, he was severely underrecruited and ended up at Howard University, where he played two seasons and scored over 1,500 points. Then after his sophomore season entered the transfer portal and found his way to Storrs.

In the nearly two years that Cole has been at UConn, he has been a leader on the court, helping the Huskies return to the NCAA Tournament last season and having them poised to return this year. So far this season, he is averaging over 16 PPG and over 4 APG while being the primary ball-handler for a Top 25 team in the country.

R.J. has also shown up when it mattered most. He dropped 24 points in a win against Auburn, 25 points in Philly against Villanova, and 20+ points in road wins against Marquette and Xavier. It’s not just about scoring, as he has had multiple seven and eight assist games this year and has had three+ steals in five games. He also does things that don’t show up in the box score, such as always being the first one diving for loose balls and taking what feels like at least two-three charges every game.

After James Bouknight went pro after the 2020-21 season, the number one question that arose for the Huskies was who was going to replace the volume of scoring that he brought and if it was even possible? Cole has answered that question perfectly.

Every great UConn team always seems to have a “little guy” running the show. Khalid El-Amin comes in at 5’10’’. Kemba Walker is listed at a generous 6’ even. Shabazz Napier isn’t much taller at 6’1”. Ben Gordon is the giant of the group at a gargantuan 6’3.” All four of these players were leaders on teams that went on to hoist the National Championship trophy in early April.

R.J. Cole checks in at 6’1”, and he honestly looks an inch or two shorter. Despite his small stature, he is one of the toughest players in the Big East and plays like he is six inches taller with his aggression to the rim.  Whenever he pulls up for a mid-range jumper, around the elbow of the free throw line, you know it’s going in. Speaking of free throws, Cole is shooting a career-best 86% from the stripe despite a recent funk he’s been in.

When looking at the competition for Big East Player of the Year, even in late February the race is wide open. Some of the favorites to this point include Villanova guard Collin Gillespie, St. John’s guard Julian Champagnie, Marquette forward Justin Lewis, and Cole’s teammate in UConn forward Adama Sanogo. All of these players have their own unique cases for the award. In a year where there is no clear favorite, he certainly has an argument.

Great players don’t only step up in big games but win big games. Cole did that in arguably the biggest game of the year for the Huskies, a 71-69 win over the No. 8 Villanova Wildcats. In front of a sold-out XL Center, he scored a tough contested layup with his off-hand over a much taller defender in Villanova forward Brandon Slater with 5.9 seconds remaining to give the Huskies the lead. Then on the other side, he drew a charge from Gillespie to secure the victory with just over one second remaining.

Well, there you have it. In a year with no clear front runner, I believe that R.J. Cole has the resume of what you look for in the Big East Player of the Year. Only time will tell, but if the Huskies get hot, they will be a tough team to beat come March.