Jan. 15--Bogan started the year with one Division I player.
Buffalo recruit James Jones has been a worthy heir to all-time Bogan great Luwane Pipkins, who led the school to its first city championship and is sitting out this season at UMass as a partial qualifier.
While the 6-2 Jones has been looking more and more like a steal with consistently outstanding play against the high-level competition on Bogan's schedule, Wisconsin-Milwaukee took his point guard, Bryce Barnes, off the board last week after offering him at the Proviso West Holiday Tournament following months of flirtation.
The vast majority of Division I scholarships are offered prior to the start of a prospect's senior season, but coach Arthur Goodwin believes he's got a third D-I player in his No. 6 Bengals' senior class.
"Marcus Cole is a sleeper," Goodwin said. "He's 6-4 and has long arms like he's 6-7. They didn't know about Marcus Cole. A lot of schools are just looking at him closely now."
Goodwin said Cole has been Bogan's most consistent player, which may or may not be related to the fact that Jones already has a scholarship, but his emergence is a major reason Bogan has stayed hot without Pipkins.
A transfer from Phillips, Cole is averaging about 17 points and seven rebounds a game, and Goodwin considers him a guard even though he isn't asked to be a primary ball-handler with Jones, Barnes and a fourth major contributor, senior guard Nathan Townsen, on the floor.
The late run for Cole is underway with an offer from Chicago State. Cal State-Bakersfield has also expressed interest.
"He played point guard at Phillips," Goodwin said. "He can put it on the floor, he can shoot it a little and he's just as athletic as James. He's a Division I player for sure. He's under the radar right now."
Cole will have numerous opportunities to showcase his game against top competition the rest of the season.
Last season, the Bengals lost most of their big games before taking out Young and Simeon to win the city title.
They've been closer to breaking through than they were at this time last year, falling to then-No. 3 Fenwick in double overtime in the Proviso West semifinals and to Simeon in overtime. They had fourth-quarter leads in both games.
"I'm glad we've had a chance to measure ourselves against top teams," Goodwin said. "I know that we can make a run at the end."
Mike Helfgot is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
