Carrollton, GA – The West Georgia Wolves Friday revealed the addition of a major building block for its 2010 recruiting class.
Coach Michael Cooney announced the signing of Taylor Cochran to a National Letter of Intent to attend West Georgia. Cochran, a 6-2, 175-pound shooting guard, hails from Fayetteville, Ark., and comes to UWG following a heralded prep career at Fayetteville High School.
Cooney was all smiles upon receiving Cochran’s signature. “When we began this recruiting season,” said Cooney, “Our first priority was to find a shooter; someone who could really stretch a defense. Taylor is a player who can flat-out shoot the ball.”
Named the “Top Gun” in Northwest Arkansas by Vype magazine, Cooney adds that Cochran’s game is more than just shooting. “He is a tenacious defender who can also handle the ball and get a rebound.”
Cochran’s credentials are impeccable. As a junior in 2009 he helped his Fayetteville team an unbeaten season, the Class 7A State Championship, and a number-eight national ranking in Sports Illustrated. As a senior in 2010, Cochran again led his team to an appearance in the state championship game.
Beyond high school, Cochran was also a standout for four seasons at the AAU level. In 2009 he played in prestigious MAYB tournaments in Wichita, Kan., and Denton, Texas; and the Reebok Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev. Also, he was named to the all-tournament team at the renowned Arby’s Classic in Bristol, Tenn.
Cochran comes to the Wolves after being rated the number eight prep prospect in all of Arkansas. He was twice named to the all-state team, was selected to the KURM Radio All-Star Team, and will play in June’s Arkansas East-West All-Star Game.
Beyond basketball, Cochran also excels in the classroom. He scored a 25 composite on his ACT, and has a 3.1 grade point average while taking a variety of AP classes. He has an interest in majoring in History, Psychology or Sport Management at West Georgia.
Cooney emphasizes that the entire UWG family was instrumental in the recruiting of Cochran. “Our university’s stature brought Taylor here to us,” says the coach. He continues, “When he came here to visit I think he was very impressed with our campus, our academics and facilities; the university as a whole. Also, our returning players were very impressed with Taylor and wanted us to sign him, very much.”
West Georgia was not alone in its pursuit of Cochran’s talents. He received offers from a trio of Division I programs: Arkansas-Little Rock, Oral Roberts and Cornell. Also, Cochran was recruited heavily by two-time defending GSC Champion Arkansas Tech.
Though only a freshman, Cooney is expecting his newest recruit to contend for playing time this season. “He’s physically ready for the college game. Taylor has a great demeanor on the court; he competes hard and plays hard. We look for him to earn minutes this season.”
Beyond Cochran, Cooney is expecting to sign at least two more players during the 2010 recruiting campaign.
