By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Toledo, Ohio---Xavier Cochran (Huron/Ann Arbor, Mich.), a freshman guard from the Owens Community College men's basketball team, has signed a letter of intent to play at NCAA Division I University of Albany in Albany, N.Y. next year.
"Xavier came to Owens understanding that he would only be here for one year, and that we would help him get the right Division I scholarship," said Owens Community College head men's basketball coach Dave Clarke. "Xavier is an excellent student and represents off the court better than any player I have coached. I'm extremely happy that Xavier had multiple Division I offers after one year at Owens, and he chose the University of Albany because he thought it was a perfect fit both athletically and academically"
In his first and only year at Owens, Cochran led Owens in scoring at 16 points per game, while adding six rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He shot 46.9 percent from the field, 30.8 percent from 3-point range and 71.7 percent from the foul line.
In conference play, Cochran finished sixth in scoring at 17.4 per game, while adding 6.7 rebounds, two assists and 1.8 steals per game. He was third in the league in 3-point shooting at 42 percent, 11th in overall field goal percentage at 49 percent and 17th in rebounds and ninth in steals.
Following the season, Cochran was named First Team All-Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) and First Team All-Region XII. He scored in single digits only five times all year, with four of them coming in the first half of the season. He notched 20 or more points nine times, including a season-high 34 points on Dec. 13 against Jamestown - Cattaraugus. Furthermore, he produced four double-doubles on the season, including a season-high 14 rebounds on Jan. 6.
Academically, Cochran was named to the OCCAC's All-Academic team, and he earned the NJCAA's Exemplary Academic Achievement Award.
Cochran joins fellow teammate and sophomore forward Dilyn Good (Springfield/Holland, Ohio) as one of two four-year signees from the Owens men's basketball team so far this offseason. Good recently signed with NCAA Division II Walsh University. Furthermore, with the signings of those two players, Owens men's basketball has now sent 20 student-athletes to play at four-year schools over the past four years.
Notes
With his signing at Albany, Cochran becomes the seventh NCAA Division I men's basketball player from Owens over the past four years. He joins John Murry (North Central/Indianapolis, Ind.) and Kenny Jones (Clay/South Bend, Ind.), who played in the NCAA tournament for Austin Peay State University last year as juniors, as well as Bikramjit Gill (Our Ascension of the Lord/Toronto, Ontario, Canada), who recently completed his NCAA career with Ball State University. James Kelly (Pioneer/Ann Arbor, Mich.) and Justin Edmonds (Albion/Albion, Mich.) both just finished at Marshall University, and the 6'8" Kelly even has a shot at playing in the NBA next year after averaging 20.1 points and 9.8 rebounds last year. The other one was Joe Retic II (Fishers/Fishers, Ind.), who played at Liberty University.
Aside from the aformentioned eight Owens men's basketball student-athletes, the other 12 to sign with four-year schools include Pete Firlik (2014-15, NCAA D-II Ferris State University), Tony Boykins (2012-14, NCAA D-II Gannon University), Andy Bachman (2012-14, NCAA D-II Tiffin University), Markese Allen (2012-14, NCAA D-II Ohio Valley University), Jay Marquette (2011-13, NCAA D-II Lee University), Austin Somerfield (2014-15, NCAA Division II University of West Florida), Jerron Jamerson (2011-12, NAIA Goshen College), DeVondre Peoples (2013-14, NAIA Berea College), Jordan Basinger (2011-12, NAIA Siena Heights University), CJ Bussey (2014-15, NAIA Mount Vernon Nazarene University), Edmond Early Jr. (2013-15, NAIA Indiana Tech University) and Franklin Lindsey (2011-13, NAIA Indiana Tech University).