Ed Cota

Ed Cota

Personal information
Born	(1976-05-19)May 19, 1976 Los Angeles, California,U.S.
Nationality	American / Panamanian
Listed height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight	195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school	Samuel J. Tilden (Brooklyn,New York)
College	North Carolina(1996–2000)
NBA draft	2000:undrafted
Playing career	2000–2008
Position	Point guard
Career history
2000–2001	Gary Steelheads
2001–2002	Telindus Oostende
2002–2004	Žalgiris Kaunas
2004–2005	BC Dynamo Saint Petersburg
2005–2006	Žalgiris Kaunas
2006	Barcelona
2006–2007	Hapoel Jerusalem
2007–2008	Stal Ostrów Wielkopolski
Career highlights and awards
FIBAEurope League All-Star (2005) Lithuanian Basketball LeagueAll-Star (2004) 3× Second-teamAll-ACC(1998–2000) ACC Rookie of the Year(1997) ACCAll-Freshman Team (1997) Second-teamParadeAll-American(1996) McDonald's All-American(1996)
Medals Men's Basketball RepresentingPanama Centrobasket 2006 Panama Team

Eduardo Enrique Cota(born May 19, 1976) is a Panamanian-American former professionalbasketballplayer.

High school career

Cota played his freshman and sophomore years atBrooklyn,New York'sSamuel J. Tilden High School.As a sophomore, he averaged 31.5 points, 11 assists and six steals per game and led his team to the semifinals of the New York Public School Athletic League.

Cota underwent a devastating family tragedy in the ninth grade when his parents were in a car accident in Panama that would hospitalize them for several years. His mother spent a year in the hospital, his stepfather spent two and left in a wheelchair, never to regain use of his legs. He struggled to stay on track in school but was helped by the return of his mother and help from his high school coach Eric Eisenberg to get him counseling and find a prep school to attend to get a fresh start.

He then enrolled inSt. Thomas More SchoolinOakdale, Connecticut,where he led his team to the New England private school title his junior year as he averaged 21 points and nine assists a game. He was selected for the United States Junior National Select Team and played in the 1996McDonald's All-AmericanGame, which featured future starsJermaine O'Neal,Stephen Jackson,Mike BibbyandKobe Bryant.The one-time truant high school student also excelled in the classroom, eventually finishing his high school career as an honor-roll student.

Collegiate career

Cota is probably best known to basketball fans for his play atpoint guardfor theUniversity of North Carolina(UNC) from 1996 to 2000. At UNC, Cota led the Tar Heels to threeFinal Foursin his four years as a starter. During the 1997–1998 season, Cota was a member of new coachBill Guthridge's successful "Six Starters" rotation withAntawn Jamison,Vince Carter,Shammond Williams,Ademola Okulaja,andMakhtar N'Diaye.

Cota garnered many accolades during his college career. He was named the 1997ACCRookie of the Yearand a 1997 FreshmanAll-America.Cota was the leading vote-getter on the 1997 All-ACC Freshman Team. He earned 2nd-Team All-Conference honors three years in a row, as a sophomore (1998), junior (1999) and senior (2000).As a sophomore, he broke the ACC record for mostassistsin a single season. He was named a 1999APAll-America Team Honorable Mention. He earned threeNCAAAll-Regional Team selections as a senior while leading UNC to another Final Four. By the time his college career concluded, he had become the first player in NCAA basketball history to score 1,000 points, and have 1,000 assists and 500 rebounds in a career. Additionally, he finished with the third highest assist total in NCAA history, and owns the record for most assists in a career at Carolina. Remarkably, Cota also played an NCAA record 138 games without ever fouling out.

Professional career

Cota was notdraftedby theNBAafter graduating from North Carolina. His lack of height (6' 0 ") and jump shot were cited as a major impediments to success as a pro. Instead, he was drafted by theGary Steelheadsof the minor leagueContinental Basketball Association,where he spent the 2000–2001 season. That season Cota proved his doubters wrong, leading the league in3-pointshooting with a 48.5% mark.

After that season, Cota left the CBA and began what would become a very successful basketball career in Europe. He signed with theBelgianpro team Telindus BC Oostende for the 2001–2002 season. They went on to win the 2001–2002 Belgian National Championship. Cota joinedŽalgiris Kaunas,aLithuanianteam, for the 2002–2003 and 2003–2004 seasons, during which he consecutively led theEuroleaguein assists. Cota's team won the Lithuanian National Championship both season.Cota also played in the 2004 Lithuanian All-Star Game.

Cota joinedBC Dynamo Saint Petersburg,a member of theRussian Basketball Super Leaguethat competes as a member ofFIBAEurope,in 2004–2005. It was the club's first year of existence. The Dynamo went undefeated in theFIBA Europe Leaguethat season and won the championship.Cota played in the 2005 FIBA Europe League All-Star Game.

After his stint in St. Petersburg, Cota returned to Lithuania and Žalgiris Kaunas to start the 2005–2006 season, but moved toSpainto play forFC Barcelonabefore the season ended.

Despite his success overseas, Cota continued to work toward the goal of playing in the NBA. Over the years, he has played on the NBA Summer League squads of theLos Angeles Clippers,Indiana Pacers,andWashington Wizards.

Cota competed internationally with thePanama men's national basketball team(his parents were from Panama and he maintainsdual citizenshipstatus) at the2006 FIBA World Championshiptournament.

Cota signed with Israeli sideHapoel Jerusalemfor the 2006–7 season. In January 2008 he joinedAtlas Stal Ostrów Wielkopolskiplaying inPolishDominet Bank Ekstraliga.

See also

• List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career assists leaders

Career statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goalpercentage	3P%	3-point field-goalpercentage	FT%	Free-throwpercentage
RPG	Reboundsper game	APG	Assistsper game	SPG	Stealsper game
BPG	Blocksper game	PPG	Points per game	PIR	Performance Index Rating
Bold	Career high

Led the league

Euroleague

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG	PIR
2001–02	Telindus Oostende	8	7	32.0	.550	.281	.649	2.9	5.1	1.5	.1	14.6	14.0
2002–03	Zalgiris	14	14	35.5	.508	.208	.784	4.6	6.5	1.2	.1	12.1	16.5
2003–04	Zalgiris	20	19	36.2	.513	.465	.754	3.6	5.7	1.6	.1	13.4	16.2
2005–06	Barcelona	20	10	20.0	.423	.211	.667	2.8	2.6	.7	.1	3.3	5.0

External links

• Euroleague.net profile