NC basketball recruit with multiple ACC offers is content to stick to his plan
Cole Cloer has stuck to one plan his entire life.
He’s always known he’s wanted to do something with basketball. That’s why it didn’t surprise him when he received his first offer from High Point following his freshman year of high school. The coaches at HPU sent him a text while he was at school. He hopped on the phone with them on his way home. They gave him an offer.
His lifelong goal started to feel tangible.
“I’m not gonna say it just all of a sudden hit me in the face,” Cloer said. “But then I started to realize, ‘Hey, this is real.’”
And it has only become more real. Following his junior year of high school at Caldwell Academy in Greensboro, North Carolina, Cloer is ranked No. 32 in the Class of 2026. The 6-foot-7 forward is rated the best prospect from North Carolina, and the 15th best small forward in his class, according to 247 Sports. Cloer recently visited Rock Hill, South Carolina, to participate in the NBPA’s Top 100 Camp, where the best recruits come to perform in front of NCAA scouts and coaches. Next, he’s heading to Colorado for the USA U19 National Team training camp.
“I always want to show that I’m the best, so whatever that means,” Cloer said about his time at the Top 100 Camp. “But I wasn’t going out here trying to do too much.”
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Cloer’s athletic success is unprecedented in his family. He’s the youngest of four children. His older brother played football at Cornell, but they’ve never seen anything like this.
Fourteen offers from schools including UNC, N.C. State and Wake Forest. Interest from Tennessee, Villanova and Indiana. He has official visits scheduled with programs like Florida and Alabama in the upcoming months.
“(I’m looking for) somebody that trusts me,” Cloer said. “A place that I feel like fits. Like I said, the goal is to get to the NBA, just wherever I think I can do that.”
His family is as excited as he is. His two brothers text him if he’s not in the gym. His sister will ask how everything is going. His parents are there every day to support him.
But he doesn’t need the daily check-ins. They aren’t what inspire him. He simply enjoys what he’s doing.
“A lot of people say they have to stay motivated (or) like I need motivation, but I don’t,” Cloer said. “There’s not a place I’d rather be than other with a basketball in hand. It doesn’t get any better than that.”
So, what’s next to make his plan more of a reality? He wants to win a state championship. He wants to be a McDonald’s All-American, and a member of Jordan Brand. He also has several more titles he’s going for.
“I feel like all of those are very doable,” Cloer said. “I feel like those are things that I will accomplish. So, I’m excited.”
Cloer has a lot to decide over the next year, but it’s all a part of the plan.
This story was originally published June 16, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
