How TCU forward JaKobe Coles found his role despite early adversity

JaKobe Coles experienced plenty of adversity to the start of his collegiate career.

After a decorated prep career at Denton Guyer, Coles signed with Butler, but the summer before his freshman season was impacted by COVID-19 and limited his options to prepare for the college game.

Coles still carved out a nice role with the Bulldogs, but tore his meniscus on Jan. 1, 2021. After the season he transferred closer to home to TCU, but still couldn’t put in the proper time due to recovering from the injury.

He averaged less than 10 minutes a game for Horned Frogs last season, but now Coles is in the best stretch of his career with five double-digit scoring games in the last seven outings.

“I think it just came from the work and consistency that I was providing the team this summer,” Coles said. “I just worked hard all summer and just knew that if I was able to get a couple opportunities to play a little bit more this season, I would be able to show I had gotten better.”

That opportunity came when Mike Miles Jr. suffered a knee injury on Jan. 28 in overtime defeat at Mississippi State. Prior to that game, Coles played 20 minutes or more just four times in 20 games. Three of those were blowout wins over Jackson State, Louisiana Monroe and Central Arkansas.

Including the Mississippi State game, Coles has played 20 minutes or more in four of the six games Miles was out. He averaged close to 13 points per game during the stretch and helped pick up the slack offensively.

“The injuries to Mike and Eddie (Lampkin) were hurting us, a lot of us had to step up,” Coles said. “My minutes gave me the ability to show my progress.”

His father Jerome, a longtime basketball trainer and teacher at Guyer, knew how crucial this summer would be for his son’s development and they went as hard as possible.

“It all started last summer, we had a meeting of the minds. Me, JaKobe and his brother,” Jerome said. “It was his first summer of actual college workouts. We never had one and we know we needed to take advantage of that to accomplish some of the goals we wrote down.”

The Coles family divided their summer strategy into different pillars. The first was making JaKobe’s surgically repaired knee stronger along with the rest of his lower body.

Then there was conditioning and nutrition along with skill training where Coles had his son work on the basics like improving the form of his jump shot and his ability to finish around the rim.

“We started as soon as school let out and it was pretty much a three-a-day type deal,” Jerome said. “Physical therapy, working out in the gym focusing on consistency with his shooting, improving ball handling and his finishing moves. We wanted to be ready and JaKobe wanted to be somebody that could help the team.”

Finding his place

In the preseason, it was difficult to project Coles finding a significant role for the Horned Frogs this season. TCU returned its top six leading scorers and seven of nine players that averaged 13 minutes or more.

How would Coles find his way with a rotation that seemed to be set? While putting in the work physically, mentally Coles relied on his time with the Texas Titans to help maintain his confidence. The Titans were a Dallas-Fort Worth based AAU team that competed in Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League.

Coles played with future teammates like Miles and Rondel Walker with the Titans along with 2021 No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham and another future NBA player in Greg Brown. Coles wasn’t the biggest recruit on that team, but still found a way to be a meaningful cog for a team that went 17-2 against some of the most elite recruits in the country.

“I know my worth when it comes to me and my confidence and my skill level,” Coles said. “With how my game is, I’m able to play different positions within different systems. That’s always kind of been an advantage of mine. When those guys came on the team it was like, ‘What can I do to complement those around me?’

To have that type of maturity and mindset in that situation speaks to Coles’ basketball character. He could’ve easily went to a team that would’ve featured him more, but he isn’t built like that. Coles wanted to fit in and found team success and not just individual glory.

“In the coaching arena they call it the connector,” Jerome said. “The connector is a player with skills that sometimes that get overlooked on a team, but they do a multitude of things to help the team. The caliber of players he’s been playing with and practicing against, he has a pedigree of playing with great players and being a valuable part of that team that had those great players.”

On that loaded Titans squad, Coles averaged 13.8 points and 7.4 points as the Titans piled up a 17-2 record in EYBL play. Keep in mind many view the EYBL as the top basketball circuit.

If he could find a role with stars like Cunningham and Brown, Coles knew he could do the same with TCU despite all the returning talent. All he needed to do was work and that grind is beginning to pay off as TCU coach Jamie Dixon has begun to use Coles as a mismatch weapon.

“He was playing a little bit more at the five, we always knew he would score more there,” Dixon said. “We’ve always thrown him in there and it’s a good matchup for us at times. He makes his free throws, he scores around the basket, that’s what we like.”

Easy adjustment

Miles returned to the lineup Saturday in a TCU’s commanding 100-75 blowout win over Oklahoma State. With Miles back it meant players like Coles slid back to their more typical roles, but that was an easy adjustment for Coles.

He made the most of his 13 minutes on the court with six points, four rebounds, a steal, block along with a 3-pointer. Coles even showed the athletics gains he’s been making with a rare dunk during the blowout.

TCU took its lumps without Miles, but it allowed players like Coles to grow and find their own confidence that will remain with the star back in the lineup.

Coles endured that early adversity and is now a key piece for a team that has the looks of a March Madness contender. It was something he always knew he was capable of.

“I know what kind of player I am,” Coles said. “I know if I was given the opportunity and was consistent in my work that everything would show eventually and especially having my faith with my lord and savior Jesus Christ. My lord helped me and pushed my spirit through the tough times like the injuries and maybe not being a big factor on the team.

“It was honestly just pushing myself and not being satisfied and thinking this was okay. Ultimately it’s about me helping the team win, it’s not me trying to get mine. If I’m on the court I feel like I can help the team win.”