Prospect Spotlight: Cole Pedersen (2020)
Photo Credit: osceolaiowa.com
Although he’s a beast on the hardwood, there’s no question that Central Decatur junior athlete Cole Pedersen is a football guy.
A 6-foot-4 forward, Pedersen will be the main guy for the Cardinals’ hoops squad this season, but also has verbally committed to play football at Iowa State.
For now, though, he’s looking to play out his high school career, and that will involve two more seasons as the main man for Central Decatur hoops.
“I just really drive well and I can dish well, and I can jump. I’m basically just an athlete on the floor to go get rebounds and make all the small plays that matter,” said Pedersen.
“I’m trying to get a jump-shot, it’s in the works.”
While others were spending their spring and summer with grassroots teams playing hoops, Pedersen was doing other things. He spent his spring lifting weights and finishing up track. He spent his summer playing football and preparing for his junior season on the gridiron.
Now that football is over, he’ll shift his focus to hoops. As a sophomore with the Cardinals, Pedersen averaged nine points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He’s the team’s leading returner in both statistical categories.
“I’ll definitely be scoring more points this season. I was definitely more of a role player last year, but now that Carter (Boothe) is gone, I’ll need to step up and make my presence felt a little more,” said Pedersen.
But with an offer from Iowa State (and a commitment to the Cyclones) plus interest coming in from Iowa and Notre Dame, it’s definitely football that Pedersen says he’ll pursue in college.
“I really enjoy football,” he said. “I want to play that in college.”