Schea Cotton

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Schea Cotton
Personal information
Born (1978-05-20) May 20, 1978 (age 46)
Inglewood, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school
College
Guaros de Lara
Career highlights and awards
  • Second-team All-SEC (2000)
  • Junior college All-American (1999)
  • First-team Parade All-American (1996)
  • Fourth-team Parade All-American (1995)
  • California Division I Player of the Year (1995)
  • All-Southern Section Division I Player of the Year (1995)
  • 2× All-Southern Section Division I (1994, 1995)

Vernon Scheavalie "Schea" Cotton (born May 20, 1978)[1] is an American former professional basketball player. He was highly touted as a high school player, when he seemed destined to play professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 10 years professionally, but never reached the NBA.

Growing up in the

undrafted
. Cotton played professionally for 10 years, both domestically as well as in numerous foreign countries. After retiring as a player, he became a basketball coach and trainer for young players.

Early life

Vernon Scheavalie Cotton was born in

alley-oops as a seventh-grader, which was uncommon at the time.[7] Cotton became nationally known before even reaching high school.[8] According to ESPN in 2010, the expectations for him were "as great as any pre-high school aged player ever, even LeBron James."[9]

By the time he was a high school freshman, Cotton had grown to 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and 220 pounds (100 kg).

NBA.[4] His games had developed a following, drawing well above-average crowds. In an era before the Internet, high school games were not televised, and his fame spread through word of mouth.[6] Still, the interest level in Cotton at the time has been compared to the fanfare of LeBron James' prep career, and some have referred to him as "LeBron before LeBron."[10][14][15] Youngsters would wait for over a half-hour for his autograph.[16] In 2014, Cal-Hi Sports hailed him as "arguably the most ballyhooed youth player in [California] history."[17]

In his sophomore year, Cotton averaged 24 points and 10 rebounds, leading Mater Dei to a 36–1 record and a state championship, their third in 13 seasons.[2][12][13] He was voted All-Southern Section Division I Player of the Year, and was named to the All-Southern Section Division I Team for the second straight year.[18] Cotton also became the first and only sophomore to be named Cal-Hi Sports Division I State Player of the Year,[9] and was honored nationally as a fourth-team Parade All-American.[19] He wore 37 pairs of shoes that year, a new pair for each game courtesy of Nike. According to Cotton, "I basically had a shoe contract in high school, to be honest, without the money."[13]

After two years at one of the country's top programs in Mater Dei, Cotton returned to St. John Bosco.[20] The school received little press coverage, and he had grown weary of the attention he garnered at Mater Dei.[11] In his junior year, Cotton broke a bone in his left hand and missed most of the season.[21] Though he played in only 11 games,[22] he was named a first-team Parade All-American.[23] He missed his senior year after undergoing surgery to repair damaged ligaments in his left shoulder. He had suffered the injury over the summer in an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) game against Lamar Odom.[9][21] Despite being sidelined, one recruiting service tabbed him as the No. 2 high school prospect in the nation.[20]

College career

A report from a Las Vegas newspaper during Cotton's junior year speculated that he was considering entering the

Long Beach State. However, his brother, James, announced in 1997 that he would be leaving the school early and declaring for the NBA draft, prompting Cotton to request and receive a release from his letter of intent.[24] Afterwards, some college coaches believed Cotton would jump directly to the NBA.[21] Although Kevin Garnett triggered a second generation of NBA high school draftees in 1995, followed by Kobe Bryant and Jermaine O'Neal a year later, college remained the predominant choice at the time for top prep players.[10]

In April 1997, he committed to play at

NCAA minimum of 700 for incoming freshman, but the NCAA invalidated his score.[6][25][26] Cotton had been diagnosed with a learning disability, auditory learning, in which he comprehended better by listening than by seeing. The Educational Testing Service (ETS), which publishes and oversees the SAT, confirmed the diagnosis, and allowed him to take the test with extra time and larger font text. The NCAA, however, had stricter criteria than the ETS, and disagreed that he was entitled to take the non-standard test.[26][27] Cotton denied any wrongdoing, and felt he was being targeted by the NCAA.[6] Earlier, the NCAA had investigated a Ford sport-utility vehicle driven by Cotton, which they suspected was provided to him as an incentive to sign with UCLA. However, the NCAA absolved him of violating his amateur status based on documents provided by his parents.[28]

Blocked from attending UCLA, Cotton enrolled at

All-American, leading Long Beach to a 33–3 record.[29] In parallel, his family sued the NCAA in September 1998; the case was settled four months later.[13][30] The Cottons said they spent $60,000 battling the NCAA.[13] After being declared eligible by the NCAA, Cotton earned a scholarship to play college ball at the University of Alabama.[2]

As a sophomore with the

declared early for the NBA.[2] In 2010, he expressed disappointment in his college experience. "If I had known what I know now, I would probably have skipped college," said Cotton.[6]

Professional career

Many expected Cotton to be selected in the second round of the

Orlando Summer League, but the team's summer season ended after just one day when Magic player Conrad McRae collapsed and died during practice. Later that summer, Cotton was drafted fourth overall by the Anaheim Roadrunners of the American Basketball Association (ABA), but the team was unable to secure the Honda Center (known then as Arrowhead Pond) as its home arena, and he never played for them.[13] He was also drafted by the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), but he was their last cut in training camp after not having shot well.[13]

Cotton remained confident that he could play in the NBA, buoyed by the knowledge that past opponents that he had either outplayed or held his own against had eventually made it in the league.

2007 NBA Development League Draft,[36] but he was waived a couple of weeks later.[37]

Nonetheless, Cotton played professionally for 10 years, and picked up several languages over a career that saw him play in seven countries and numerous U.S. leagues.

FR Yugoslavia, where he played 20 games for Vlade Divac's former team in 2001.[38][2][33] He then joined the Shanghai Sharks, Yao Ming's former team in China.[2][13] After playing abroad for two years, Cotton returned to Long Beach in 2003 to play for the ABA's Long Beach Jam—he was the first player signed by the new franchise.[39] Domestically, he also played in the United States Basketball League and toured with the Harlem Globetrotters.[40] His career also took him overseas to France, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Mexico.[34]

After retiring from playing, Cotton became a basketball trainer with his own academy, as well as a coach in the Los Angeles area for Millikan High School and Belmont Shore in AAU.[6][10] In 2016, he premiered his documentary, Manchild: The Schea Cotton Story, which covers his rise as a high school sensation and the letdown of not reaching the NBA.[41][42][43]

Player profile

Entering high school, Cotton's physical maturity provided him the size, speed, and power to dominate his opponents.

guards.[6] His jump shot and ball-handling ability were suspect by NBA standards.[34] "I never thought he could play," said NBA scout Marty Blake.[47]

References

  1. ^ a b "Schea Cotton" (PDF). NBA.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 24, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Lawrence, Andrew (January 24, 2005). "Peaking Too Soon". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  3. ^ a b Hamilton, Tom (January 30, 1991). "Even at 12, He Looks Like a Star". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  4. ^ a b Murphy, Austin (July 25, 1994). "Cotton Is High Summertime and the basketball is easy for Schea Cotton, a high school soph who has colleges drooling". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  5. ^ Foster, Chris (January 14, 1994). "Cotton Keeps His Cool". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 9, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Original Old School: Thank Me Later". Slam. December 31, 2010. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  7. ^ Prisbell, Eric (March 23, 2016). "Former basketball phenom Schea Cotton finds peace and wants to tell his story". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 25, 2016.
  8. ^ Flores, Ronnie (August 7, 2013). "Killum hoop film screening set". Cal-Hi Sports. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  9. ^ a b c d Flores, Ronnie (August 10, 2010). "Schea Cotton: Legend in his time". ESPNHS. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015.
  10. ^ a b c d e f Washburn, Gary (August 31, 2014). "Ex-prep school basketball phenom finds his place". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on March 15, 2015.
  11. ^ a b c d McLeod, Paul (December 27, 1995). "100% Cotton : Ex-Mater Dei Standout Finds Comfort Zone at St. John Bosco". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  12. ^ a b Itagaki, Michael (May 5, 1995). "Highly touted sophomore has begun the application process to attend Bellflower St. John Bosco". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i Snow, Chris (August 18, 2003). "Can't-Miss Frustration". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 7, 2015.
  14. ^ Shanoff, Dan (December 13, 2002). "Everybody loves LeBron". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  15. ^ Bergeron, Tom (May 31, 2011). "The most hyped basketball recruits of all-time". Rivals.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  16. ^ Brand, Steve (December 28, 1994). "Star Mater Dei soph lives up to clippings". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. D-8.
  17. ^ Flores, Ronnie (October 21, 2014). "Boys BB: Top 8th Graders Since '82". Cal-Hi Sports. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  18. ^ "All-Southern Section Boys' Basketball Team - 1995" (PDF) (Press release). Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles. April 2, 1995. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 2, 2015.
  19. Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  20. ^ a b Barnett, Ned (January 11, 2003). "LeBron James could be great, good or forgotten". The Raleigh News & Observer. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  21. ^ a b c Reid, Jason (April 25, 1997). "Cotton Ready to Push Past Aside With Next Step". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  22. ^ Shepard, Eric (January 30, 1997). "Cotton Goes Quietly". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 10, 2015.
  23. ^ O'Shea, Michael; Cohen, Haskell (March 31, 1996). "Meet Parade's 40th Annual All-America High School Boys' Basketball Team". Parade Magazine. p. 18. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  24. ^ Reid, Jason (April 2, 1997). "Long Beach Releases Cotton From His Letter of Intent". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  25. ^ Reid, Jason; Kawakami, Tim (April 28, 1997). "Cotton Cottons to Idea of Becoming a Bruin". Los Angeles Times.
  26. ^ a b Reid, Jason; Kawakami, Tim (September 21, 1997). "NCAA Says UCLA Recruit Is Ineligible". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  27. ISSN 0279-0483
    . Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  28. ^ "Miller Earns Gold Medal Despite Fall". Tulsa World. August 24, 1997. Archived from the original on March 8, 2015.
  29. ^ "NBA Draft 2000 Index: Schea Cotton". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  30. ^ Norwood, Robyn (November 4, 1998). "It's Wait and See for UCLA, Davis". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 9, 2015.
  31. ^ Rivera, Steve (December 28, 1999). "'Bama guard Cotton settling into his role". Tucson Citizen. Archived from the original on October 10, 2014.
  32. ^ Minium, Harry (November 1, 2001). "Taylor To Make ODU Coaching Debut Tonight". The Virginia Pilot. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 8, 2015 – via HighBeam Research.
  33. ^ a b c Davis, Ken (June 24, 2001). "Not A Soft Landing For Cotton". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  34. ^ a b c d Burlison, Frank (November 7, 2009). "Cotton is back where he belongs". Long Beach Press-Telegram. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  35. ^ "NBDL Allocation Lists Announced on Eve of Draft". NBA.com. October 30, 2002. Archived from the original on October 12, 2015.
  36. ^ "2007 D-League Draft Board". NBA.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2014.
  37. ^ "Thursday's sports transactions". Associated Press. November 16, 2007. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  38. ^ Koton kod kuće
  39. ^ Zimmerman, Matt (July 24, 2003). "Cotton Comes Home for Jam Session". Daily News. Los Angeles. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 8, 2015 – via HighBeam Research.
  40. ^ Gottlieb, Doug (May 19, 2005). "As preps flood draft, odds of success fall". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  41. ^ Washburn, Gary (January 30, 2016). "Shabazz Napier trying to jump-start career with Magic". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on February 9, 2016.
  42. ^ Barrigon, Raul (January 29, 2016). "We talked with high school legend Schea Cotton about his movie and glory days". Hoops Hype. Archived from the original on January 30, 2016.
  43. ^ "Schea Cotton 'Manchild' Documentary Sees Success in L.A." Slam. February 8, 2016. Archived from the original on February 9, 2016.
  44. ^ Muldoon, Michael (September 7, 2014). "Under the Lights: More good news for Windham hockey family". Eagles-Tribune. Archived from the original on March 7, 2015.
  45. ^ Smith, Charles (July 31, 1994). "100% Pure Talent". Los Angeles Times.
  46. ^ Sakamoto, Bob (July 8, 1994). "6-10 Center From S. Carolina Dazzles At Camp-as Expected". The Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  47. ^ Jones, Bomani (May 4, 2007). "Cautionary tales for underclassmen". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.

External links

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