Cole Aldrich
Encyclopedia
Cole David Aldrich is an American
basketball
player who is currently playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder
in the National Basketball Association
(NBA). He completed his junior year at the University of Kansas
in March 2010. Aldrich was selected as a McDonald's All American
in 2006. He attended Bloomington Jefferson High School
. The New Orleans Hornets selected Aldrich eleventh overall in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft
.
in Minneapolis, Minnesota
. As a senior, he was named state player of the year by the St. Paul Pioneer Press
and Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
picks Darrell Arthur
, Sasha Kaun
, and Darnell Jackson
. He averaged three rebounds and 2.8 points a game on 8.3 minutes a game during the regular season. Statistically, Aldrich's best performance was an 11-point, 11-rebound outing in a win over Texas Tech
on March 3, 2008. Probably the most crucial game for Aldrich was during the Final Four game between Kansas and North Carolina
on April 5, 2008, when he played only 16 minutes but managed to grab 8 rebounds and score 7 points along with blocking 4 shots while also playing effective defense against National Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough
, helping lead Kansas into the NCAA national championship game
. They then defeated the Memphis Tigers
to win their first Championship since 1988.
on February 23, 2009,.
On March 8, 2009, Aldrich was named to the 2008–09 Big 12 All-conference first team.
On March 22, 2009 Aldrich recorded the first official triple-double in the history of Kansas basketball against Dayton in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Aldrich accumulated 13 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 blocks in a 60–43 victory. On Monday, April 13, Aldrich announced that he would return to KU for his Junior season.
. He ended his college career a perfect 55-0 at Allen Fieldhouse
.
. He was the 11th pick at the 2010 NBA Draft, selected by the New Orleans Hornets, who traded his rights on draft day to the Oklahoma City Thunder
. On August 6, 2010, Aldrich signed a 2-year contract with the Thunder with a two year option.
On November 24, 2010, the Thunder assigned Aldrich to the Tulsa 66ers
of the NBA D-League. He was recalled on December 6, 2010, but sent back to Tulsa on December 30, 2010. He was again recalled on February 2, 2011, and assigned for a third time on March 30, 2011.
|-
| align="left" | 2010-11
| align="left" | Tulsa 66ers
| 21 || 21 || 29.3 || .544 || .000 || .804 || 8.6 || 1.3 || .5 || 2.6 || 10.3
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Oklahoma City
| 18 || 0|| 7.9 || .533 || .000 || .500 || 1.9 || .2 || .3 || .4 || 1.0
|-class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:left;"| Career
| style="text-align:left;"|
| 18 || 0|| 7.9 || .533 || .000 || .500 || 1.9 || .2 || .3 || .4 || 1.0
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who is currently playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA). He completed his junior year at the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
in March 2010. Aldrich was selected as a McDonald's All American
McDonald's All-American Team
The McDonald's All-American Game refers to each of the all-star basketball games played each year for boys' and girls' high-school basketball graduates. Consisting of the top American and Canadian players, each team plays a single exhibition game after the conclusion of the high-school basketball...
in 2006. He attended Bloomington Jefferson High School
Bloomington Jefferson High School
For schools with a similar name, see Jefferson High School.Thomas Jefferson Senior High School is one of the two high schools in Bloomington, MN, USA Independent School District No. 271. It is located on at 102nd Street and France Avenue on the suburb's southwest side. About 1,600 students attend...
. The New Orleans Hornets selected Aldrich eleventh overall in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft
2010 NBA Draft
The 2010 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2010 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur...
.
High school career
Aldrich attended Bloomington Jefferson High SchoolBloomington Jefferson High School
For schools with a similar name, see Jefferson High School.Thomas Jefferson Senior High School is one of the two high schools in Bloomington, MN, USA Independent School District No. 271. It is located on at 102nd Street and France Avenue on the suburb's southwest side. About 1,600 students attend...
in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. As a senior, he was named state player of the year by the St. Paul Pioneer Press
St. Paul Pioneer Press
The St. Paul Pioneer Press is a newspaper based in St. Paul, Minnesota, primarily serving the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Circulation is heaviest in the eastern metro region, including Ramsey, Dakota, and Washington counties, along with western Wisconsin, eastern Minnesota and Anoka County,...
and Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Freshman season
During the 2007–08 season at Kansas, Aldrich's freshman season, his playing time was limited due to playing behind future NBA draftNBA Draft
The NBA Draft is an annual event in which the thirty teams from the National Basketball Association can draft players who are eligible and wish to join the league. These players are usually amateur U.S. college basketball players, but international players are also eligible to be drafted...
picks Darrell Arthur
Darrell Arthur
Darrell Antwonne Arthur is 6'9", American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA. He plays the power forward and small forward positions. Arthur played for the University of Kansas in college for two seasons, including the 2007–2008 national championship team...
, Sasha Kaun
Sasha Kaun
Alexander Olegovich Kaun is a Russian professional basketball player. He played college basketball in the United States with the University of Kansas for four seasons, including the 2007–2008 national championship team...
, and Darnell Jackson
Darnell Jackson
Darnell Edred Jackson is an American professional basketball player for BC Donetsk in Ukraine. He is 6'9" and is 253 lbs. Jackson played for the University of Kansas in college for four seasons, including the 2008 national championship team...
. He averaged three rebounds and 2.8 points a game on 8.3 minutes a game during the regular season. Statistically, Aldrich's best performance was an 11-point, 11-rebound outing in a win over Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball
The Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team represents Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition The team is currently coached by Billy Gillispie. Prior to Gillispie being named coach, the coach was Pat Knight who succeeded his father, Hall of Famer Bob...
on March 3, 2008. Probably the most crucial game for Aldrich was during the Final Four game between Kansas and North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
on April 5, 2008, when he played only 16 minutes but managed to grab 8 rebounds and score 7 points along with blocking 4 shots while also playing effective defense against National Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough
Tyler Hansbrough
Andrew Tyler Hansbrough is an American basketball player for the Indiana Pacers. Hansbrough completed a college basketball career with the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team in 2009, and was drafted into the NBA by the Indiana Pacers with the 13th pick of the 1st round of the 2009 NBA...
, helping lead Kansas into the NCAA national championship game
2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season...
. They then defeated the Memphis Tigers
Memphis Tigers
The Memphis Tigers represent the University of Memphis in Division I of the NCAA. They are members of C-USA and currently feature nine women's sports and nine men's sports...
to win their first Championship since 1988.
Sophomore season
With the departure of the other Jayhawk big men to the NBA draft, Aldrich became the premier big-man going into his sophomore season. Through the first 29 games, he averaged a double-double with 15.1 points and 10.8 rebounds in 29.7 minutes of play. He grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds in an 87–78 win over OklahomaOklahoma Sooners men's basketball
-1908-1980:The Sooners enjoyed moderate success on the court during this era, posting only 16 losing records in their first 72 seasons. They were coached by 9 different coaches during this period, beginning with Bennie Owen , and ending with Dave Bliss in 1980...
on February 23, 2009,.
On March 8, 2009, Aldrich was named to the 2008–09 Big 12 All-conference first team.
On March 22, 2009 Aldrich recorded the first official triple-double in the history of Kansas basketball against Dayton in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Aldrich accumulated 13 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 blocks in a 60–43 victory. On Monday, April 13, Aldrich announced that he would return to KU for his Junior season.
Junior season
He won the 2009–10 men's college basketball Academic All-American of the Year as selected by CoSIDA and presented by ESPN the MagazineESPN The Magazine
ESPN The Magazine is a bi-weekly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut in the United States. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998....
. He ended his college career a perfect 55-0 at Allen Fieldhouse
Allen Fieldhouse
Allen Fieldhouse is an indoor arena at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. The arena, named in honor of Dr. Forrest C. "Phog" Allen, who coached the university's men's basketball team for 39 years, is one of college basketball's most historically significant and prestigious buildings...
.
Professional career
On March 29, 2010, Aldrich announced that he would forego his final season of collegiate eligibility and enter the 2010 NBA Draft2010 NBA Draft
The 2010 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2010 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur...
. He was the 11th pick at the 2010 NBA Draft, selected by the New Orleans Hornets, who traded his rights on draft day to the Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
. On August 6, 2010, Aldrich signed a 2-year contract with the Thunder with a two year option.
On November 24, 2010, the Thunder assigned Aldrich to the Tulsa 66ers
Tulsa 66ers
The Tulsa 66ers are an NBA Development League team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the minor league affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their logo design is a basketball behind mountains with a road leading up to them, all on a U.S...
of the NBA D-League. He was recalled on December 6, 2010, but sent back to Tulsa on December 30, 2010. He was again recalled on February 2, 2011, and assigned for a third time on March 30, 2011.
|-
| align="left" | 2010-11
| align="left" | Tulsa 66ers
Tulsa 66ers
The Tulsa 66ers are an NBA Development League team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the minor league affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their logo design is a basketball behind mountains with a road leading up to them, all on a U.S...
| 21 || 21 || 29.3 || .544 || .000 || .804 || 8.6 || 1.3 || .5 || 2.6 || 10.3
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2010–11
2010–11 NBA season
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and...
| align="left" | Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
| 18 || 0|| 7.9 || .533 || .000 || .500 || 1.9 || .2 || .3 || .4 || 1.0
|-class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:left;"| Career
| style="text-align:left;"|
| 18 || 0|| 7.9 || .533 || .000 || .500 || 1.9 || .2 || .3 || .4 || 1.0