Coleman to play basketball at University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee

By FRED KRONER
fred@mahometnews.com

Not all 6-foot-7 high school basketball players are created equally.

Some are most comfortable – or only comfortable – with their back to the basket and playing in the low post.

Others are adept on the perimeter, agile enough to handle the ball and adequate enough to shoot the three-pointer.

Mahomet-Seymour’s Grant Coleman falls into the latter category.

 His on-court versatility enhanced his attractiveness as a major college recruit. On Tuesday at the high school, Coleman signed his National Letter of Intent to continue his basketball career at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.

“As the game becomes more position-less, Grant’s size and skill level fits perfectly at the next level,” M-S head coach Ryan Bosch said.

Coleman led the Bulldogs in scoring and rebounding as a junior, averaging 20.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

He will join a college program that has University of Illinois connections.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee head coach Pat Baldwin’s assistant is Paris Parham, who spent five years on staff with the Illini.

One of the Panthers’ top players this season in a 4-1 start is Te’Jon Lucas, a 6-foot-2 guard who started 34 games during his two years with the Illini before transferring. The redshirt junior is second on the Milwaukee team in scoring (14.8 average) this season and leads in rebounds (6.0), assists (6.2) and steals (1.9).

Coleman’s other college options included Toledo, Nevada and Youngstown State as well as Southeast Missouri State.

“I was open to everything,” he said.

After visiting the Milwaukee campus in August, he felt confident in confirming his choice.

“It felt like the right fit,” he said. “I loved the atmosphere and didn’t want to look anywhere else.”

Bosch believes interest would have continued intensifying had the 210-pound Coleman not signed.

“A lot of schools were trying to get in to see him,” Bosch said. “He would have had a long list of offers if he had kept his recruitment open. It was heating up.”

That he didn’t wait was a tribute to the Wisconsin-Milwaukee staff.

“They did a nice job of forming a connection and building relationships,” Bosch said.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee is a member of the Horizon League.

Coleman and the Bulldogs will open the season on Monday at Centennial in Champaign. The varsity will play at approximately 7:30 p.m., following a 6 o’clock junior varsity contest.

M-S’ home-opener will be on Friday, Dec. 6 against Charleston.

Coleman, a News-Gazette All-Area second-team selection as a junior, is looking forward to the chance to concentrate all of his attention on basketball now that the recruiting process has ended.

“I feel like I can play my game and not worry about impressing anybody,” he said.

Coleman played enough varsity minutes as a freshman to earn a letter. He is now preparing for his third year as a varsity starter.

“You saw the potential in him even in middle school,” Bosch said. “He was very smooth, could handle the ball and had range. He was pretty impressive from the start and has worked extremely hard.

“His growth, maturity and work ethic has developed. He was a little behind defensively as a freshman, but always had a ton of potential. To see a kid set a goal and work that hard, you love to see him achieve that goal.”

Since entering high school as a two-sport athlete, Coleman dropped baseball after his freshman season.

“School ball and AAU (with the Indiana Elite North) have helped me in different ways,” Coleman said. “It was a great experience to play against top competition every weekend. It helped me get exposure.”

It wasn’t a lack of interest in other sports that helped Coleman decide to give them up.

“It killed him to think about missing out on gym time,” Bosch said.

Bosch has no concerns about Coleman letting down now that he has secured a scholarship.

“The commitment is one piece,” Bosch said, “but you can get a scholarship and not pan out. There are a lot of reasons to motivate him this season.

“If the first week (of practice) is any indication, he is not taking it easy on anyone.”

Coleman said his goals extend beyond earning a scholarship.

“Ever since I started, I wanted to play D-1 and hopefully make it to the NBA,” he said.

Bosch said that Coleman’s improvements have occurred in various facets of the game.

“The biggest thing is his ability to finish at the rim and through contact has really jumped,” Bosch said. “With all the growth he has made, he feels a lot stronger and doesn’t get pushed around.

“He has a soft tough, good range and can handle the ball against pressure. He’s a great athlete.”

Coleman doesn’t lack for confidence.

“I like to believe anywhere in half-court is a good shot,” he said.

Coleman would like to major in criminal justice and become a homicide detective. It’s an interest sparked by various television shows, he said, including “Psych.”

“That’s where I got the idea,” he said.

Coleman is in line to become the eighth Mahomet-Seymour boys’ basketball player to eclipse the 1,000-point mark for a career. He enters the upcoming season 137 points shy of that exclusive club.

To date, the top all-time M-S scorers are:

NAME               POINTS GRADUATION YEAR

Brett Melton    1,872    2000
Craig Buchanan   1,653 1993
Cory Noe           1,615   2018
Phil Knell           1,499   1963
Conner Diedrich   1,255 2015
Reid Farchmin   1,131 2012
Steve Rinkel       1,046 1972