The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Cokley Building on Success of Last Season
12/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Steve Irvine, UABSports.com
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Confidence wasn’t an issue for Chris Cokley when he ventured from his hometown of Savannah, Ga., to join the UAB men’s basketball program.
He expected to make a positive impact.
He expected to accomplish lofty goals at the college level. He expected to help the Blazers win games and compete for championships.
His expectations, however, came complete with a conservative timeline.
“I thought coming in, it would take me at least two years to figure it out and then I’d get rolling,” Cokley said.
Obviously, he’s way ahead of schedule.
Cokley reached double digit scoring – and nearly his first career double-double – in his second game in a UAB uniform. Eventually, he was selected as the Conference USA Sixth Man of the Year at the conclusion of his first college season. This year, the 6-foot-8 Cokley has been even better. He not only leads the Blazers in scoring and rebounding, but he set a career high in points, with 25, in the opening game against Auburn and tied it on Sunday in a win over Seattle.
“I think he was a very pleasant surprise last year,” said UAB associate head coach Jeff Wulbrun, who is in charge of coaching the Blazer big men. “I think he relied on excellent instincts. He has tremendous offensive instincts for the game. As you look at this year, his basketball IQ has really increased, especially offensively. He’s understanding angles, he’s reading defenses. He understands the importance of getting into the defender in his post-up play. I think he’s learning to play harder throughout possessions.”
As good as Cokley has been, though, the best is yet to come.
“With all the growth and the progress he’s made, he’s still got a huge upside to him,” Wulbrun said. “He’s just now learning how to play. As that progress continues, the sky is the limit for what Chris can accomplish.”
To understand where Cokley is headed, it’s important to visit the past. His early basketball lessons came by walking out the front door and crossing the street to Savannah’s Live Oak Park. It was there that he first dribbled a basketball. It was there that his basketball instincts were born. It was there that he began watching older players play the game. It was there that he eventually joined those games and flourished.
Most importantly, it was the long hours at Live Oak Park that helped him avoid the sometimes unforgiving streets of his hometown neighborhood.
“The neighborhood is pretty rough,” said Cokley, who first played organized basketball at the age of six. “There were traps here and there, but basketball helped me out a lot. I feel that without basketball, there wasn’t a lot for me to do.”
Cokley was a standout at Savannah High School. He averaged 13.6 points and 7.6 rebounds as a junior and raised those totals to 15.5 points and 9.9 rebounds as a senior. He was an integral part of Georgia Class 3A state championships as a sophomore and junior and an all-state choice as a senior. He had several options to sign with higher profiles schools, including two in the Southeastern Conference. Ultimately, though, the relationship he built with UAB head coach Jerod Haase and the staff was why he chose to come to Birmingham.
From the outside, the adjustment to college basketball appeared seamless. He was the team’s second leading scorer in Conference USA games, averaging 9.4 points per game. But he knew better days were to come.
“I had to get a feel for it and see how much faster the game moves from high school to college,” said Cokley, a business management major.
Cokley also needed to catch up physically. While he’s naturally strong, weight room work was never a priority. At Savannah High, Cokley said, he’d often stay on the court and practice free throws when his teammates went into the weight room. Obviously, that’s not a recipe for success on the college level.
That’s where UAB strength and conditioning coach Cory Schlesinger steps in.
“Cory used to call me and Ha Ha (William Lee) children because when we came in, we were so skinny,” Cokley said. “That affected us offensively and defensively.”
Soon after the NCAA Tournament loss to UCLA, Schlesinger sat down with Haase and the assistant coaches to discuss an offseason plan for all of the returning players.
“With Chris, the goal was to get some more muscle mass,” Schlesinger said. “But, more importantly, it was for him to be able to push some of our performance numbers – squat numbers, clean, snatch – some of the lifts that we really look for when it comes to consistency of what our strength values are and what our power values are.”
Reaching those numbers turned out to be a team effort for Cokley, Lee and Tosin Mehinti. When one was in the weight room, you could generally find the other two. They competed against each other and supported each other. They playfully talked a little trash to each other while cheering for the others at the same time. They used the weight room strengths of the others to become well rounded.
“We didn’t have number goals, we had an effort goal,” Schlesinger said. “With that being set, they developed this camaraderie and competition within each other. Each of those individuals are all so uniquely different and they have so many different strengths and weaknesses in comparison. When competition is involved, people start getting a little more ego. It’s a healthy environment and it made my job a lot easier.”
By the end of the offseason, Cokley was carrying an extra 25 pounds.
“I would say it’s almost an understatement to say he went from a child to a man,” Schlesinger said.
Cokley also went to work on the court to improve his basketball skills, which has been a mark of his since he stepped on campus.
“He’s a real pleasure to coach, he has been from day one,” Wulbrun said. “He’s been really receptive. We watch a lot of film together and he gives you his attention, concentration and focus. I’d like to think he walks away with the willingness to implement what we talk about.”
Natural basketball instincts also play a huge role. A natural right-hander, Cokley is equally adept at using his left hand while shooting. At times, he might go up on the right side and use his left hand to finish. He also has a knack of making the right move at the right time, even when it seems a bit unorthodox.
“I’ve always had good instincts but if I didn’t put in that work I did, the instincts would only go so far,” Cokley said.
He’s failed to reach double figures in scoring only once in the first nine games, and he’s not doing it by firing up an extraordinary amount of shots. He took 19 shots in the season opener against Auburn and made 12 on his way to 25 points. He was 8-of-12 from the field, finishing with 23 points, in a win over Jacksonville State, was 10-of-13 from the field at Illinois State and 10-of-14 in Sunday’s win over Seattle. He hasn’t taken more than eight shots from the field in any other game.
Overall, Cokley averages 16.2 points per game and is shooting a team-best 64.1 percent from the field. His field goal percentage is 18th best in the nation and second in C-USA. He’s become the top offensive option on a team full of weapons. He also averages a team-best 8.3 rebounds per game.
“Our job is to make sure Chris doesn’t get satisfied,” Wulbrun said. “I think he won’t. I think he’ll keep working and be a special player in our program.”
The Conference USA Men's and Women's Basketball Championships are set to return to Birmingham for the second consecutive year, marking the third time the Blazers will host the event. The men's tournament, as well as the women's semifinals and championship, will be played at Legacy Arena in downtown Birmingham, while the women's first round and quarterfinal action will take place at UAB's Bartow Arena.
UAB ticket mini plans are now on sale and in high demand. The Holiday 3-Pointer includes games against Hiwassee College (Dec. 22), 2015 NCAA Tournament participant Stephen F. Austin (Dec. 29) and the Blazer's Conference USA home opener against Middle Tennessee (Jan 3). Lower level seats can be purchased for $36 ($60 value), or $24 in the upper level ($45 value). The Conference USA Season Pass is available for $119 in the lower level, (a savings of over $60) and only $79 in the upper level, ($56 off the regular price).
For more information on UAB men’s basketball, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_MBB), on Instagram (@blazerhoops) or on Facebook (Facebook.com/UABMensBasketball). For more on all Blazer sports teams follow the official social media accounts of UAB Athletics on Twitter (@UABAthletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uabathletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
