Catching Up With: Julian Cockrell
Tulsa Memorial senior Julian Cockrell (6’8″ C), who signed penned to play at Northern Oklahoma College-Enid (NJCAA/Enid, Oklahoma) on Wednesday, opened his senior season with a 100-58 win over Daniel Webster Thursday night.
Cockrell said the process has been “overwhelming,” but he is relieved to have his signing out of the way headed into his senior season.
The Signing:
“It’s a great fit,” said Cockrell about his signing to NOC-Enid. “Everything is going great.”
Cockrell also explained how important it is for him to win a third championship with Tulsa Memorial in his senior year.
“It’s extremely important because I wanna make history,” Cockrell said. “I want to be a part of a team that won three straight Gold Balls.”
Cockrell’s signing to NOC-Enid was one of three signings made by Tulsa Memorial hoopers on Wednesday with Keylan and Kalib Boone both signing to play at Oklahoma State University (D-I, Stillwater, Oklahoma).
My Take:
Cockrell started things off the right way Thursday night against Webster. Coming off the bench, his board-play was not only exceptional, but borderline unstoppable. Rebounding was as important as anything to the Chargers Thursday night, and he was one of the best rebounders on the floor.
He wasn’t a huge scoring presence, but scoring will be a pretty arbitrary constituent of the Chargers’ game throughout the season. As deep as its roster is, Cockrell could be the leading scorer for his team on any given night. It just depends on what they scheme up.
His defense was also important to his game as it usually is. He kept guys in front of him and stepped up to make some blocks. As a team, the Chargers had their fair share of transition points, many of which started with a Cockrell block.
Final Thoughts:
He never leaves the game without making his presence known in the rebounding game. His being on the floor is going to be big for Tulsa Memorial this season.