UConn Athletic Communications
May 17, 2019
STORRS – UConn has received a signed athletics aid agreement from student-athlete RJ Cole, who will transfer to the university and join the men's basketball program with two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Cole, a native of Union, N.J., who spent his first two collegiate seasons at Howard University (Washington, D.C.), will sit out the 2019-20 season as per NCAA transfer rules, but will be able to practice with the team and be eligible for competition beginning in 2020-21.
The 6-1 point guard is coming off a prolific two seasons at Howard, earning honors as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year in 2017-18 and the MEAC Player of the Year in 2018-19. Last season, he was an AP Honorable Mention All-American selection and a First Team All-ECAC pick.
"We couldn't be more pleased to add a student-athlete of RJ's talent, maturity and character to our program," UConn coach Dan Hurley said. "His on-court skills will be a tremendous help, especially for our young guards, during practice this season and his influence in the locker room and off the court will be just as important. Then, obviously, we expect him to have a huge impact the following season. He is a quality young man."
Cole averaged 22.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 6.2 assists in his two seasons at Howard, becoming the fastest player in school history to reach 1,000 career points (44 games).
As a freshman, he led the MEAC in scoring (23.7), assists (6.1), and steals (1.7) and set a new league record with 13 Rookie of the Week selections.
Last season, he again led the league in scoring (21.4), with 21 20-point games, including a season-high 36 on the road at Norfolk State. He ranked second in the league in assists (6.4) and third in steals (1.9), shooting 41.5 percent overall, 38.7 percent from three-point range and 81.9 percent from the foul line. He won the MEAC Player of the Week award five times.
Cole is a product of the powerhouse basketball program at St. Anthony High School (Jersey City, N.J.) where he was a three-year starter under Hall of Fame Coach Bob Hurley Sr. As a junior, Cole led St. Anthony to a 32-0 record, a state championship and a No. 4 national ranking. He carried a 4.0 GPA and was the salutatorian of his graduating class.
Cole will join incoming guards James Bouknight (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Jalen Gaffney (Columbus, N.J.) as newcomers to the UConn program this year, combining with nine returning players on the Huskies' roster.
