The Journey That Almost Never Happened

The 30th member of the Bethany College men's basketball 1,000-point club almost didn't play college basketball.  

An accomplished high school soccer goalkeeper, playing college basketball wasn't on Cole Dailey's radar. That was until a meeting with a family friend, and basketball trainer, Dave Hill. A former coach at Akron East High School put the proverbial ball in Dailey's court and wouldn't accept anything less than complete buy-in. 

"We bought all in from the first day," said Hill. "I envisioned him to be very, very good, but it comes down to three things – preparing mentally, physically, and spiritually.  

"What is I saw in Cole, and I joke with him, Jesus was very good to him. He is 6-6, long arms and very athletic. He had all the physical traits. But, he also has great parents with good structure and discipline," Hill continued.  

When most hoopers were applying their trade on the AAU circuit, Dailey was playing high school tennis at East Liverpool for his soccer coach. College sports was the furthest thing from his mind. 

"I have always liked basketball, but the more time I spent with Dave, the more I started understanding basketball when I watched it with him. I understood it as a game, and not just hooping," said Dailey. "He is the smartest basketball guy I have ever met. When there is a certain weakness, he knows." 

It was the frank conversations about where he was and where he could be that really inspired Dailey. It wasn't going to be easy, and that is how he wanted it. Put his head down, do the work required, and don't complain.  

Now 61 games into his college career, Dailey has scored over 1,000 points, pulled down over 500 rebounds, and already holds the Bethany College men's basketball record for blocks. He achieved the feat on a three-pointer late in the Geneva game that cut the Bethany deficit to two. Ironically, shooting is one of the self-proclaimed weaknesses of Dailey's game.  

Despite all of the individual accolades and records, Dailey knows he can be better. He also believes his career is just "solid". There are several ways he can improve and also ways to move his career from "solid" to exceptional.  

There is an extra 20 percent he feels he can give in games and an additional 25 percent in practice that he can exert on a regular basis, and all of that can lead to the ultimate piece that is missing from his playing resume – a Presidents' Athletic Conference title.
 
"I can't go out and win the PAC for us," said Dailey. "I have to do better. In the game, offensive rebounding, limiting the bad turnovers that turn into easy fastbreak points, and executing our halfcourt offense. We are good in transition offense, but our half-court offense isn't as good as other teams in the conference. 

"It's going to take everyone," he continued. "We have coaching, and the coach has changed the culture." 

He also understands that people remember the team's success, and not necessarily the individual numbers.  

"Everyone remembers the (East Liverpool High School) 1999 Final Four team, nobody remembers their stats," he said. "They are remembered because they went to the state Final Four." 

Now Dailey is ready to be a key cog in the first PAC championship since the 2011-12 season. He knows he has to be better first.