University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) men’s basketball player Cole Harper has been selected as the Male Spotlight Athlete for the month of February.
UIS currently holds a 13-10 record with a 6-7 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) record. UIS ranks ninth in the GLVC Point Rating System with a 2.85 rating.
The Prairie Stars cruised to a 101-77 victory against Lincoln Christian University on Jan. 2, while scoring at least 50 points in each half. UIS topped Maryville University 81-70 on Jan. 12.
The Prairie Stars coasted to an 80-58 win against Missouri S&T on Jan. 17. Harper recorded 13 points and season-highs of 12 rebounds and three blocks. The 6-foot-5 senior guard from Chatham knocked down 6-of-7 (85.7 percent) shots from the field.
UIS rallied to an 88-87 victory against Drury University on Jan. 19.
Bahari Amaya drained the go-ahead 3-pointer with 10 seconds remaining and
Daniel Soetan sealed the victory with a game-winning block. Harper delivered 13 points while making each of his five shots from the floor and each of his three attempts from 3-point range.
AS UIS outlasted Quincy 80-77 on Jan. 26, Harper contributed 14 points. Harper also pulled down eight boards against Lewis University on Jan. 31.
On the season, Harper is averaging 7.4 points and a team-high 6.0 rebounds. Among GLVC leaders, Harper ranks ninth in rebounding. Harper has drained 63-of-122 (51.6 percent) shots from the floor and 17-of-35 (48.6 percent) attempts from the perimeter.
GETTING TO KNOW COLE HARPER
List three words that describe yourself
Outgoing, fun and funny
Who is your celebrity crush?
Emily Ratajkowski
What is your favorite type of pizza?
Sausage
If you travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Paris, France
What is your favorite type of food?
Sushi
What is your favorite holiday?
Thanksgiving
If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be?
The Flemish Giant Rabbit
What is your favorite TV show?
The Office
Who on the team is the best dressed?
Big Tye (
Tyler Clarke)
Who on the team is the best dancer?
Me
Who on the team is the joker/prankster (Best sense of humor)?
Peyton Allen
Who on the team is the best trash talker?
Gilwan Nelson
Who on the team is the most outgoing?
Casey Tuttle
Who is the team’s pregame DJ?
Chidi Ngwe
What is your team’s go-to pregame song?
My Socks by Money Man
What is your major?
Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing.
Who is your inspiration?
My dad, he has always been my role model. He was always there for me whether that be a dad, coach, or best friend.
What is your driving force/motivation?
Making my family and friends proud.
What are your favorite aspects about sports?
Competition and playing with your brothers every day in practice or games.
What is your favorite non-athletics memory at UIS?
Our team group chat at community service for
Dre’s mom’s middle school dance
What is your favorite athletics memory at UIS?
Coming back to beat Drury in the second half.
Off the court, what are your favorite hobbies?
I love golfing and hanging out with friends and family.
List a little-known, but amazing fact about yourself.
I’ve never had a piece of gum; I have had a phobia of something being chewed that long.
Why did you choose UIS?
I choose UIS because I had a great connection with
Coach Walker and the staff. My teammates are amazing and I would be close to home for my family to come watch.
What is your favorite class?
Sociology, I find it very interesting when looking at life through a sociological lens.
What are your plans after college?
I plan to move to St. Louis and work with my dad.
What do you want your lasting legacy to be as a student-athlete at UIS?
I want to be remembered as a student-athlete who would do anything for his teammates and coaches, on and off the court and someone who wore the Prairie Star jersey with pride for the 217.
