Tompkins Weekly

IHS alum Eells begins final Alfred season



Ithaca High School 2017 graduate Cole Eells drives to the basket in a 2019 game against Clarkson University. After not playing in the shortened 2020-21 season, Eells returned to Alfred for his graduate season and was named the Empire 8’s first Player of the Week this season. Photo by Alfred University Athletics.

Cole Eells was a three-sport athlete at Ithaca High School, playing basketball and running cross-country and track and field before graduating in 2017. Since then, he’s been a standout player for Alfred University’s basketball team. Now a graduate student in his final year of athletic eligibility, Eells was named the Empire 8 Conference Player of the Week after a 20-point game in the Saxons’ season-opening victory Nov. 6.

Eells did not play in the 2020-21 season that lasted just seven games, giving him an opportunity to extend his college career. The 6-foot-4 guard explained his decision to stay in school.

“Because of COVID, I got another opportunity to have one more year of eligibility,” Eells said. “And I love basketball. I love the sport. All the guys that were on the team last year were here again. So, it was just an easy choice for me to make to stay one more year and get one more year of the college life and the collegiate sports. It was an easy choice for me to make.”

Eells is off to a great start in his final season. He has scored at least 14 points in all four games, leading the Saxons in three-pointers, field goals and free throws made. He talked about the first game of the season that earned him the player of the week honors.

“I just really relied on my teammates to find me open looks,” Eells said. “When we have our guards attacking the lane and our big men, who are very offensive, down low, it opens a lot of areas for me to shoot open threes. So, I just really relied on them to give me the ball and I just knocked them down when I needed to.”

Being the only graduate student on the team, Eells is part of the veteran leadership core of the Saxons. He gave his perspective on being the oldest player on the roster.

“We have some other guys on the team that are seniors that are particularly our captains, but everyone on the team looks up to those guys, including myself,” Eells said. “So, I just know we have to set the tone for them for future years and just show them what it’s like to be a championship team.”

Eells then recalled his freshman year and the leadership he looked up to. There was one player that came to his mind who helped him become the three-point sharpshooter he is today.

“When I was a freshman, there was a kid on the team who was a senior,” Eells said. “His name was Nick Schmidt. He was kind of my idol. I watched him play all freshman year and I watched the way he moved off the ball and found the gaps for when to shoot threes and when not to. I think it’s just a lot of reps and getting shots up but also just movement off the ball to find open looks.”

Cole isn’t the only athlete in the family. His older sister Kayla played for the IHS basketball team, as did his younger brother Cade. Cade is currently a freshman on the Nazareth College cross-country team, and Cole has enjoyed seeing him reach this point.

“It’s awesome,” Eells said. “I’ve been hearing so many great things. I’ve been to a few of his meets, and that kid is special for sure. He works hard. I always told myself that he’s probably a harder worker than myself. So, I knew that once he got to college, he wasn’t going to struggle at all. It’s not a surprise for me, but I’m glad I can see him working hard and doing well at a collegiate level.”

As for Cole, it took some hard work to get himself to the starting role he has now for the Saxons. Based on that experience, Eells gave his advice to current high school athletes hoping to jump to the next level.

“Stick with it,” Eells said. “My freshman year of college, I averaged two minutes per game. I barely played. I thought I should have been playing, like everyone thinks. But I stuck with it. I almost wanted to quit the team freshman year. My parents talked me out of it, and I stuck with it. Sophomore year, I started all season, and we ended up winning the Empire 8. Just stick with it and work as hard as you can every single day in practice, even if you know you’re not going to play. Coaches do notice your hard work.”

Eells and the Saxons are 3-1 to start the season including a win over Ithaca College in which Eells scored a season-high 23 points, the second highest total of his career. His final season continues on Saturday against SUNY Delhi.

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