Recruiting Report: Cole Bajema (2019)
Photo Credit: lyndentribune.com
It was a big summer for Lynden Christian 6-foot-6 guard, Cole Bajema.
Currently unranked in Washington’s 2019 rankings, he’s due for a very high debut in the next installment after recently receiving a Division I offer.
San Francisco became the first school to offer the sprouting guard after seeing him in two different tourneys with Friend Of Hoops
“They saw me at a tournament in Bellevue, and then they saw me in Anaheim. And after Anaheim they called me and told me they really liked my potential and what I could do on the court, and they offered me,” said Bajema.
“I was a little bit shocked, to be honest, I wasn’t totally expecting it. I just picked up the home phone and the assistant coach called me and said they were offering.”
Though he hasn’t visited the campus just yet, Bajema has taken the time to do a little digging on his own.
“I have not taken a visit there, but I’ve looked up a few things like classes and pictures of the gym,” he said.
Other schools may soon follow suit. Oftentimes when one offer comes in, there’s several more that follow.
“I’ve gotten some interest from a couple other schools which have contacted me, but I’m a little new to all this recruitment stuff,” said Bajema.
“Some of the other teams that have contacted me have been; Oregon State, Portland, and St. Mary’s.”
Whatever school ends up with the 2019 guard, will be getting a tall and versatile playmaker.
“I think the best part of my game is probably my shooting or taking it to the rim. If I get the ball of the dribble, I think I can set up my teammates pretty well,” said Bajema.
“I’d classify myself as a shooting guard, but I’m definitely capable of playing point guard.”
He was showcasing that diverse skill-set plenty this spring and summer with Friends of Hoop.
“I thought I played pretty well, my role on that team was to score the ball, they wanted me to shoot every open look I get,” said Bajema. “And I played some point guard for that team and was a facilitator too.”
Just a rising-junior, he’s got plenty of time to hash out all of that recruitment stuff. Right now, his junior season is on his mind.
As a sophomore Bajema says he averaged 22.5 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds per game, so he’s already been ultra-productive. This year he’ll look to lead.
“Since we lost one really good senior, I’m going to have to morph into more of a leader role and take charge a little bit more, since I’m an upperclassman now,” said Bajema.
As for recruitment, he’s got a ways to go.
“I just want to play at the highest level I can possibly play at,” he said. “I’ve to get better at all parts of my game, not just offense, but defense too, everything.”