Flyin' Under-The-Radar: Meet 2026's Cole Edelen
Living in the South from 2019-2023, I saw my fair share of elite-level talent on the basketball scene.
Male High School is one of Louisville, KY’s powerhouse basketball programs. Led by head coach Tim Haworth, the program has been successful for quite some time and continues to breed local talent to the fullest.
Years back, I watched Jack Edelen, a current point guard at Western Kentucky, lead Louisville Male to plenty of success.
Now?
It’s his little brother Cole leading the helm, and he’s becoming a national recruit by the week.
Edelen has been playing on the high school level since he was in middle school, and I think that coming up, many people down south knew what Cole would turn into. Years later, Cole is entering his junior year as a member of the 1,000-point club with multiple division one offers and has solidified himself as one of the state of Kentucky’s best well-rounded scorers.
He finished his sophomore year as a Top-5 scorer in the 7th region, averaging nearly 23 points per game, and was one of the region's most lethal shooters from behind the arc.
This summer, he piled on the success of the Adidas 3SSB Circuit, where he was named one of the Palmetto Road Championship’s standout players. You knew that would generate some buzz.
He recently visited Cincinnati, and both Western Kentucky’s Hank Plona and assistants from Louisville, Notre Dame, and others have stopped at Male High School to watch Cole work.
It’s evident he’s a national commodity, and he met with Stockrisers.com to discuss the recruitment and development of his game.
Which schools are the heaviest involved in your recruitment?
“I’d say I’ve talked to Western Kentucky, Charleston, Virginia Tech, Furman, and Cincinnati the most right now.”
Who are some of the new schools?
“Louisville, Ohio State, Northwestern, Notre Dame.”
What are your thoughts on Cincinnati, and what have they pitched to you? You just visited, correct?
“Yes. They just told me I’d fit well with them. They said I have a high IQ and one of the best shooters in the country, and I make the people around me better. I like their coach and will be going down there again.”
How about WKU? How have you learned about them while watching your brother play there?
“I’m going on an unofficial visit there this weekend, and I’ve just learned a lot about their style of play and how close they are as a community. I love all their coaches, and they have shown great interest in me.”
Louisville has recently been stopping by. What’s that feeling like, and have they talked to you about the next steps yet?
“A good feeling to know your hometown school knows who you are and is coming by to watch me play. I’m going to Louisville Live on October 4th and then on an unofficial October 19th against Miami. They’ve talked to me about how they’ll keep being by my side throughout my high school career and that they’re interested in me for sure.”
That said, it sounds like a bunch of visits are scheduled. Are you visiting anywhere else?
“WKU, Furman, Charleston, Notre Dame, Louisville, and Virginia Tech.”
And how would you best describe your game for those not familiar?
“I feel like I’m one of the best shooters in the country but also have one of the highest IQs. I take pride in winning, always trying to make the people around me better, and always making the right play.”
How has playing up since middle school helped you adjust?
“Just playing against taller, stronger, and more athletic guys just helped me think the game a lot better and forced me to be in a position to grow my game fast because I was being depended on. Also, just surrounding myself with the right people from a young age helped, and having a big brother who has been my biggest role model guided me along every step of this journey; learning from him is probably the biggest thing that has made me the player I am today.”