July 16, 2009
Contact: Brian McCann
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Junior guard Norris Cole, who is the second-leading returning scorer in the Horizon League after averaging 13.3 points a game, will take part in a six-game, two-week tour of New Zealand in August with Athletes In Action.
"I am really looking foward to the experience of playing against international competition again," Cole said. "It was fun playing in Spain last summer and to get to go to another country so far away will be a great learning experience.
"This will be a good chance to showcase my talent and represent Cleveland State University on a national stage. Athletes In Action is a good organization and this tour will allow me to grow both spiritually and as a leader while at the same time, continuing to grow as a player."
The tour begins on July 31 when Cole reports to the world headquarters in AIA in Xenia, OH to start a five-day training camp. The team then heads to New Zealand for the tour, returning to the United State on Aug. 19.
Cole will be joined on the AIA roster by Jeremiah Boswell (Columbia), Todd Hendley (UNC Wilmington), Orlando Allen (Oklahoma), Cade Davis (Oklahoma), Dave Buchberger (Lehigh), Jack Eggleston (Pennsylvania), Gideon Gamble (Winthrop), BJ Holmes (Texas A&M), Devin Searchy (Dayton) and Daniel Artest (Westchester CC).
The AIA team will be coached by Morris Michalski, who has guided AIA touring squads for three decades.
A native of Dayton, OH, Cole should play a leading role on the team after leading CSU in the postseason by scoring 17 points in each of the Vikings' two NCAA Tournament games.
After averaging 4.9 points in 34 games off the bench as a freshman, Cole exploded as a sophomore. He was one of three Vikings to start a school-record 37 games, ranking third on the team with 13.3 points a game.
Cole was even better against the tougher teams, averagin 16.5 points in the six games CSU played against the BCS schools (Kansas State, Washington, Wake Forest, Arizona, West Virginia & Syracuse).
One of the guiding forces behind CSU winning four games to claim the 2009 Horizon League Championshop crown, Cole was named to the all-tournament team after averaging 16.5 points in the tourney.