[Sly Fox]

Cole Webster
6' 7" Guard/Forward
Moneta (VA) Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy - Transfer from Vallejo (CA) Bethel HS


PrepHoops Profile

Inactive Twitter

[Geraldos Mustache]

Hardly any information on this kid online. Would love to know more. Is he not doing a very good job of promoting himself to recruiters? Where are the highlight videos and recruiting profiles? What other schools are recruiting him?

[prototype]

Why would he transfer there? They are terrible and play terrible teams....

[olldflame]

Why would he transfer there? They are terrible and play terrible teams....

Like with a lot of people, I'm guessing it was more a matter of getting AWAY from California. He probably had some sort of family connection that landed him there.

[Geraldos Mustache]

Why would he transfer there? They are terrible and play terrible teams....

Like with a lot of people, I'm guessing it was more a matter of getting AWAY from California. He probably had some sort of family connection that landed him there.

Moving from California to Virginia is a HUGE move.
Looks like he went from a Christian school to a Christian school, so parents are committed to Christian education. That's good. I did check out the school he's at now and doesn't seem like there are super competitive in basketball. Only 73 kids in the entire High School according to their website. It's hard to reach your fullest potential when you are not competing against high level teammates and competition.

[prototype]

My kids at New Covenant played them. Just a new school at the lake. If he was serious about playing - why wouldn't he transfer to LCA?

[Sly Fox]

Would they have a scholarship for him?

[Geraldos Mustache]

A couple questions...

#1 - is this kid under everyone's radar right now? What other universities (if any) are recruiting him?

#2 - how do you evaluate talent for a kid like this who didn't have much of a sophomore season and has transferred to a very small school with very weak competition?

I like this kid's size and his family's commitment to Christian education. Otherwise, so many unknowns.

[olldflame]

I believe someone posted that he had an offer or 2, but it's tough to check, because as of right now, he does not even have a profile page on verbalcommits. That's not the norm for a legit '22 prospect, so I would say under the radar is correct, and possibly may be a bit of an optimistic spin on it.

[JK37]

#2 - Summer ball

[prototype]

A couple questions...

#1 - is this kid under everyone's radar right now? What other universities (if any) are recruiting him?

#2 - how do you evaluate talent for a kid like this who didn't have much of a sophomore season and has transferred to a very small school with very weak competition?

I like this kid's size and his family's commitment to Christian education. Otherwise, so many unknowns.

Guessing he started the rumor;) AAU is where most coaches look now. Competition is much more consistent.

[Sly Fox]

There are a bunch of videos of him in summer ball back in Cali from the past few years.

[jinxy]

They actually won the vaca state title last night. Smlca is part of my church. We have a brand new beautiful gym and church on 162 acres. Lots of interest this year from several public school players. His connection was family and getting out of CA. My understanding is he had a wrist injury and missed his sophomore year and veey little aau due to ca and covid. I dont know about offers but there is def interest from a half dozen or so schools.

[Geraldos Mustache]

They actually won the vaca state title last night. Smlca is part of my church. We have a brand new beautiful gym and church on 162 acres. Lots of interest this year from several public school players. His connection was family and getting out of CA. My understanding is he had a wrist injury and missed his sophomore year and veey little aau due to ca and covid. I dont know about offers but there is def interest from a half dozen or so schools.

This is some really good information. Thanks, Jinxy.

I'm in Illinois so not familiar with VA and how high school state tournament works. According to this article, there is a classification for Christian schools only (VACA) and 6 Classes within that.
https://roanoke.com/sports/high-school/ ... ea69d.html

Not trying to be a jerk, but that's not a high level of competition. The school has 73 kids in the entire high school. That's only 35-40 boys in the entire high school. They are playing other small schools like them - and only Christian schools. Not even the rural public schools. How many teams are even in the VACA Class 1 category?

In Illinois, there are only 4 classes (used to be 2 classes) for everyone. There are no special categories for private schools.
1A: up to 299.00,
2A: 299.01 to 697.00,
3A: 697.01 to 1635.00,
4A: 1635.01 and over

There are over 750 high schools in Illinois divided by four classes = 150 - 200 schools per class. Winning the state championship carries some weight if you are declared the best amongst 150-200 schools, public and private alike.

I'm not taking anything away from Cole Webster and his potential. I wish him nothing but the best. But I'm not super impressed with a VACA Class 1 state championship.

[olldflame]

A vaca state championship is not particularly impressive.

Cows are not very good at basketball.

[Sly Fox]

That is incorrect, olldflame. Those cows were locked in on Jimmy Chitwood.

When my Quincy Blue Devils were dominating the state of Illinois in the Early '80s it was fun to see a downstate backwoods public school taking it to the Chicago & Peoria privates that recruited city all-star teams there had just been a split to two divisions. Seeing six divisions significantly downplays the respect for Illinois high school basketball. It is also used a primary reference down here in Texas why pubics & privates remain split down here and the public schools remain the primary attractions in the Lone Star State ... although the homeschool teams regularly beat the big school public champions.

[BlueBlood]

I read this and I just see a kid who was injured his sophomore year, lives in CA and couldn't play ball at home as a junior, so he temp moves to VA to live with family so that he can play ball as a Junior. If he didn't, he would have have missed two years of playing HS.

Folks seem to be making a big deal about his school choice - maybe it was just the easiest logistical one for his family (on both coasts) to make happen for him?

BTW - down here in FL we saw a lot of COVID refugee athletes this year. Its a thing.

[JK37]

School or level of competition bears little relevance, because stats matter just as little. If the kid can play, he can play. And coaches will find him. Because that’s their job.

[paradox]

The general idea is that if you can shoot and you're tough, you should be able to land somewhere in D1. However, there are players who look like this that can't even get a shot off against a decent defender.

[jinxy]

Brendan newtons team faith christian won vaca his senior year. Its def not strong but he has very little around him either. He can play. Hes a developmental take for sure but he has some things you cant teach. Again i cant see the actual games since im not a parent but theres enough there to warrant interest for sure.

Love how everyone is so negative and critical these days. All i ever said was he has interest. I actually think lu would be in a good spot to roll the dice on a kid like him. Were so deep its 2 years plus before a kid like him would see time anyway.

Blueblood is right. The school was very close to pairing another d1 prospect with him from another blue state. Fell apart at the 11th hour.

[Geraldos Mustache]

That is incorrect, olldflame. Those cows were locked in on Jimmy Chitwood.

When my Quincy Blue Devils were dominating the state of Illinois in the Early '80s it was fun to see a downstate backwoods public school taking it to the Chicago & Peoria privates that recruited city all-star teams there had just been a split to two divisions. Seeing six divisions significantly downplays the respect for Illinois high school basketball. It is also used a primary reference down here in Texas why pubics & privates remain split down here and the public schools remain the primary attractions in the Lone Star State ... although the homeschool teams regularly beat the big school public champions.

Illinois is not 6 classes for basketball. They are 4 classes. Used to be 2 back when you were at Quincy and I was at Pekin. The Blue Devils in Quincy had quite a program for many years.

Some of these small town schools are tough as a two dollar steak. They've got kids who've been playing together since grade school.

The Peoria Manual teams of the 1990's were special. Winning the state championship 4 years in a row is a tough feat.

[paradox]

As long as you are progressing, improving, challenging yourself--possibilities exist. Perhaps, the greatest ever, Jordan & Bird, developed later in HS. Steph Curry came on late. Celtics legend Dennis Johnson sat the bench all four years in HS, worked a job, grew a few inches, went to JuCo, played one year D1. Jeff Hornacek didn't get recruited, worked a year, and then walked on at Iowa. These stories are more common than you'd think. Growth with adversity.

[olldflame]

Just throwing this out guys, cause it looks like nobody got my joke (no excuse for Sly). "Vaca" is t he Spanish word for cow.

[Sly Fox]

I got it but mine was funnier.

GM - You went to Pekin? I tell my kids about playing you all with your cheerleaders with the eyes that matched the team's old nicknames. None of them believe it was real. And for the record, Manual's first title was stolen from Quincy in the state semifinals on a phantom call. that gave them an extra possession and broke our 64-game win streak. Not that I am bitter or anything.

[Geraldos Mustache]

I got it but mine was funnier.

GM - You went to Pekin? I tell my kids about playing you all with your cheerleaders with the eyes that matched the team's old nicknames. None of them believe it was real. And for the record, Manual's first title was stolen from Quincy in the state semifinals on a phantom call. that gave them an extra possession and broke our 64-game win streak. Not that I am bitter or anything.

Did you play under Jerry Leggett? Here is an interesting link you will enjoy...
https://www.ihsa.org/Schools/School-Dir ... hool/q.htm

Here's Peoria Manual...
https://www.ihsa.org/Schools/School-Dir ... hool/p.htm

So I lived in Pekin from 3rd grade until mid-year of my Junior year, then transferred to Peoria Richwoods. Then off the NIU.