Experience and pedigree fuels undefeated start for Olympic boys basketball

Guards J.D. Terrell and Eddie Cota are a driving force for the Trojans

Maurice Sabb (1), JD Terrell (10 and De'Angelo Hall (2) are senior leaders on the Olympic boys basketball team which is off to a 7-0 start in 2024. / Olympic Boys Basketball Instagram

With veteran leadership and youthful energy, the Olympic High School boys basketball in Charlotte, North Carolina remains unbeaten entering the final week before Christmas break.

Senior guard J.D. Terrell scored 12 points and added three steals and freshman Eddie Cota added eight points, eight rebounds and two assists as the Trojans edged Harding University, 59-57, on Saturday. Olympic (7-0) continues proving to be one of North Carolina’s top early-season stories. Last season, the Trojans finished 5-20.

Helping fuel Olympic’s rise, Cota continues carving a role for himself as a freshman guard. He had four points and six assists during last Tuesday’s 74-47 win over A.L. Brown. Cota should be a familiar name for ACC fans. He is the son of former North Carolina guard Ed Cota, the program’s all-time assist leader (1,030).

Ed Cota is the only NCAA player with 1,000 points, 1,000 assists and 500 rebounds pic.twitter.com/s6Kvg6UawH

— Tar Heel Tapes (@TarHeelTapes) May 7, 2022

The elder Cota, who played point guard for the Tar Heels from 1996-2000 and made three Final Four appearances, issued a warning. 

“I definitely think he’s going to be better than his dad,” he told The Charlotte Observer. “I’ll say that. And his dad was pretty good.  

“He’s a lot more skilled than I was at his age. still young and has a lot of growth left to do.”

Ed Cota developed his game on New York playgrounds and competed at Tilden High School in Brooklyn and St. Tomas More High School in Connecticut.

The younger Cota has embraced his father’s stories, including the legendary 1996 McDonald’s All-Star Game featuring the late Kobe Bryant. 

“I hear a lot,” he said. “ just trying to carry on that legacy. He instilled a love for the and been around basketball my whole life.

“It’s been a natural thing for me to play this sport.”

Utilizing an up-tempo style offense, the Trojans utilize the combined playmaking skills of Terrell and Cota. Terrell returned to the program after playing his junior season with Chambers.

Highlighting last Tuesday’s win, Cota was credited with five second-quarter assists, sparking a 24-4 run. Randy Johnson connected on five 3-pointers, scoring 17 points for Olympic. On Saturday, Maurice Sabb contributed a double-double (10 points, 12 rebounds) in the win over the Rams.

The Trojans will host South Mecklenburg on Tuesday and Porter Ridge on Wednesday.

“With J.D. coming back and Cota coming in, it’s given us experience and pedigree,” Olympic coach Jeffrey Bishop said. “They're both fiery guys. Like his father, Eddie has a great basketball IQ.”